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The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) shelled on December 4 Turkey’s main observation post in southeastern Idlib, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Right (SOHR).
“Regime forces in southeast Idlib targeted the Turkish observation post, near the town of Alsurman, and its outskirt with several shells,” the London-based monitoring group’s report reads.
Opposition activists confirmed the SOHR’s report, saying that several artillery rounds fired by the army landed in the vicinity of the Turkish post.
The Turkish military established Alsurman post and eleven other positions in Greater Idlib last year in the framework of the Astana Process. The posts were supposed to establish a 20 km demilitarized zone. However, this is yet to happen.
Last week, al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and Turkish-backed groups launched a large-scale attack on Syrian military positions in southeast Idlib from the vicinity of Alsurman post.
The Turkish Ministry of National Defence is yet to comment on the alleged shelling of Alsurman post. Ankara usually ignores incidents that don’t lead to human losses.
