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Syria conflict: Turkey reports destruction of chemical weapons facility in Syria

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Turkey reports destruction of chemical weapons facility in Syria

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Status: 10:59 a.m. | Reading time: 2 minutes

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At least 33 Turkish soldiers killed in airstrikes

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According to Turkish information, at least 33 soldiers were killed in an air raid on Turkish army positions in the Syrian province of Idlib. Injured people were taken to Turkish hospitals across the border.

The Turkish UN ambassador has warned Syria of a further escalation of the conflict in the Idlib region. Turkey would not hesitate to strike back if threatened. Ankara also reports that it has destroyed a chemical weapons plant.

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DTurkey claims that it has destroyed a plant for the construction of chemical weapons in Syria. A “facility for warfare with chemical weapons” and a “large number” of other targets of the government of President Bashar al-Assad have been destroyed, said a Turkish government official on Saturday. The plant was located 13 kilometers south of Aleppo. There was initially no confirmation from the Syrian side.

The conflict between Syria and NATO member Turkey escalated on Thursday when an air raid in Idlib killed at least 33 Turkish soldiers. Turkey has threatened retaliation. Syria could “learn it the hard way,” said Turkish UN ambassador Feridun Hadi Sinirliolu at a UN Security Council meeting on Friday. According to him, 34 soldiers were killed in the attack.

Idlib is the last major rebel area in the civil war country. Turkey supports Islamist rebels in the conflict. It had reached an agreement with Russia, the Syrian government’s protecting power, to set up a de-escalation zone in Idlib, and set up observation posts there. A ceasefire actually applies. Troops from the Syrian government have continued to advance in the area with Russian support in recent weeks.

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Erdogan and Putin are on the phone

Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin tried by phone on Friday to alleviate tensions in the conflict in Syria. According to the Kremlin, it was about implementing Idlib agreements. Erdogan’s communications director Fahrettin Altun said Erdogan and Putin decided to meet “as soon as possible”.

Turkey blames Thursday’s deadly airstrike on Syrian government forces backed by Russia. Russia denies any responsibility. The number of casualties is the highest in one day since Turkey’s armed forces began to intervene in the conflict in 2016. The event represents a significant escalation of the confrontation.

After a NATO crisis meeting, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg appealed to Syria and Russia to stop their offensive, respect international law and support UN efforts to find a peaceful solution. The Security Council wanted to discuss the escalation of the conflict in an emergency session on Friday.

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