The Russian Defense Ministry said the Turkish military observation posts in Idlib, Syria had merged with the rebels' base.

"The observation posts set up by the Turkish military in the Idlib stress relief zone are all at the base of the terrorist groups and actually merged with them," Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said. at today's press conference in Moscow.

Turkey set up 12 observation posts in Idlib, northwest Syria under the Sochi agreement signed with Russia in September 2018, which pledged to push terrorist rebel groups out of the 15-foot wide buffer zone. 20 km.

After accusing rebel groups of withdrawing from the agreed buffer zone, the Syrian army, backed by the Russian air force, attacked several positions of these groups near Turkish observation posts in battle. Recapturing Idlib.

"The Russian air base in Hmeymim and the Syrian cities have been frequently bombarded by rebels because Turkey has not made a commitment to establish a demilitarized zone in the Idlib stress-relieving region," Konashenkov said. Russia's Hmeymim base has been attacked by rebels using small drones (UAVs) carrying explosives eight times in the first two months of 2020.

Fighting between Turkish troops and pro-Ankara rebel groups and Syrian government forces in Idlib has escalated in recent weeks. A Turkish soldier today died in Idlib, bringing the total number of the country's soldiers dead here to 57, since Ankara deployed thousands of troops and hundreds of weapons to Syria in February.

Turkey launched its Spring Shield campaign on March 1 against Syrian forces in Idlib in retaliation for an air strike that killed 34 soldiers on February 28. Turkey's F-16 fighter plane shot down an L-39 training plane of the Syrian air force that was airstrike on rebels in Idlib, the parachute pilot and later rescued.

Idlib is the last territory controlled by pro-Turkish rebels. The Idlib recapture campaign was launched by the Syrian army in December 2019 with the support of the Russian air force. Syrian government forces recaptured a number of important positions, forcing Turkey to intervene in order to maintain its influence in Idlib.

Syria's Idlib province location (yellow) Graphics: NPR.