ANKARA: One of Turkey’s observation posts was hit by shelling from an area controlled by Syrian government forces in northwestern Syria, the Turkish defence ministry said on Sunday.

There were no casualties but the ministry said equipment was damaged in the assault while Turkish forces "immediately retaliated with heavy weapons". Shelling and mortar fire "understood to be deliberate" fired from Tall Bazan region held by Syrian regime forces hit the post in Murak region, the ministry said in a statement.

The assault comes less than four days after three Turkish soldiers were hit in another attack Turkey said was "deliberate" on another observation post on Thursday. Two Turkish soldiers were hurt in May in a similar attack blamed on Damascus.

Turkey has 12 military observation posts in Idlib, northwestern Syria, the last bastion of Jihadist forces, in a bid to prevent a large-scale offensive in the region. Ankara fears such an assault would push hundreds of thousands of refugees into Turkey. Turkish officials made representations to Russia about the latest attack, the ministry said. Moscow provides support to the Syrian regime of President Bashar al-Assad. </s> ISTANBUL, June 16 (Reuters) - A Turkish observation post in Syria's Idlib region was attacked with mortar fire and shelling from an area controlled by Syrian government forces, causing damage but no casualties, the Turkish Defence Ministry said on Sunday.

The ministry said its forces immediately retaliated with heavy weapons and it made representations to Moscow over the incident. It did not specify when the shelling occurred, but said the attack was launched from what it named the Tall Bazan area and it was assessed to be deliberate. </s> MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th June, 2019) Syrian armed forces attacked a Turkish observation point in northwest Syria and Turkey retaliated, local media reported, citing the Turkish Defense Ministry.

According to the ministry, as cited by the Turkish Anadolu news agency, Syrian forces launched an artillery attack from Syria's northwestern Idlib province on the Turkish observation point located in the town of Morek in neighboring Hama province.

Partial damage to the observation point has been reported, but no casualties have resulted from the attack.

Turkey has contacted Russia, which signed a deal with Ankara last September to jointly monitor the ceasefire in Idlib.

On Thursday, three Turkish soldiers were injured at an observation point in Idlib when Syrian forces launched a mortar attack against it.

There are over a dozen militant groups in this restive Syrian province. The National Front for Liberation, a pro-Turkish alliance, and the Nusra Front terror group (banned in Russia) have the biggest presence in the area. </s> In a statement, the ministry said regime forces launched an artillery attack from Idlib region's Tall Bazan area to Murak area, where a Turkish observation point is situated.

It said the regime attack was "deliberate" and was retaliated with heavy weapons. Partial material damage was reported, but without casualties. The statement said necessary initiatives were taken with Moscow and the situation was being followed closely.

On Saturday, the Turkish military sent reinforcements to another observation point in Idlib near Zawiya, which was targeted by regime forces last week and left three Turkish soldiers wounded.

Although Turkey and Russia have agreed to stop acts of aggression and turn Idlib into a de-escalation zone, the Syrian regime has consistently violated the cease-fire, launching frequent attacks inside the de-escalation zone. </s> Turkish and Syrian government forces have exchanged fire in Idlib province after what Turkey described as a “deliberate attack” on its soldiers.

At least 15 civilians were killed in the province on Saturday, as Russian and Syrian forces advanced.

Al Jazeera's Andrew Chappelle reports. </s> Turkey said Syrian government forces “deliberately” attacked on Sunday a Turkish military observation post in northwestern Syria.

In a statement, the defense ministry said Turkish troops responded with “heavy weapons” after the artillery attack in Idlib province.

Syrian forces launched an offensive to take the last rebel-held territory in Idlib late April, leading to the collapse of a ceae-fire negotiated by Turkey and Russia last year.

Turkey set up 12 posts in Idlib as part of the de-escalation zone agreement struck with Russia and Iran in September 2017.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said airstrikes from Syrian warplanes struck the southern edge of the rebel-held enclave with nearly 42 raids, including one that hit near the Turkish observation point in Morek that resulted in a fire in the area.

The strike solicited a Turkish response against Syrian government positions, the first such retaliation, which included missiles and rockets as well as auxiliary attacks launched by Turkey-allied Syrian fighters.

The Syrian strike on Morek is the second such targeting of Turkish forces this week, following an attack Thursday when three Turkish soldiers were injured at an observation point in Sheir Maghar.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Sunday that the country would not tolerate Syrian military attacks on its troops. “We’ll put you in your place. Everyone should know their place,” he was quoted as saying by the official Anadolu news agency.

Russia supports Syrian President Bashar Assad while Turkey backs opposition groups. The Turkish military said Russian officials were contacted after Sunday’s attack. </s> Turkey says Syrian government forces have "deliberately" attacked a Turkish military observation post in northwestern Syria.

In a statement Sunday, the defense ministry said Turkish troops responded with "heavy weapons" after the artillery attack in Idlib province.

Turkey set up the posts in Idlib as part of a de-escalation zone agreement struck with Russia and Iran in September 2017.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Sunday that the country would not tolerate Syrian military attacks on its troops. "We'll put you in your place. Everyone should know their place," he was quoted as saying by official Anadolu news agency.

Syrian forces launched an offensive to take the last rebel-held territory in Idlib late April. At least five Turkish soldiers have been wounded in attacks on observation posts since May. </s> Assad regime forces attacked a Turkish observation point in Syria and it was retaliated with heavy weapons, Turkish Defense Ministry said on Sunday.

In a statement, the ministry said regime forces launched an artillery attack from Idlib region's Tall Bazan area to Murak area, where a Turkish observation point is situated.

It said the regime attack was "deliberate" and was retaliated with heavy weapons.

Partial material damage was reported, but without casualties.

The statement said necessary initiatives were taken with Moscow and the situation was being followed closely.

On Saturday, the Turkish military sent reinforcements to another observation point in Idlib near Zawiya, which was targeted by regime forces last week and left three Turkish soldiers wounded.

Although Turkey and Russia have agreed to stop acts of aggression and turn Idlib into a de-escalation zone, the Syrian regime has consistently violated the cease-fire, launching frequent attacks inside the de-escalation zone.

Syria has been locked in a vicious civil war since early 2011, when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests.

Since then, hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and more than 10 million others displaced, according to UN officials. </s> Stopping attacks by the Syrian regime is the responsibility of Russia and Iran as guarantor states of peace, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said Sunday, hours after an Assad regime attack on a Turkish observation post in northwestern Syria.

Earlier Sunday, Assad regime forces attacked a Turkish observation post in Idlib, Syria -- with no casualties -- and was retaliated upon by heavy weapons, the Defense Ministry said.

"Turkey won't tolerate Syrian regime harassment of its soldiers," Çavuşoğlu said during his visit to Hatay, a southern Turkish province bordering Syria.

Çavuşoğlu stressed that Turkey "will teach them their place."

The Defense Ministry said they immediately retaliated to an Assad regime attack Sunday on a Turkish observation post in northwestern Syria.

In a statement, the ministry said regime forces launched an artillery attack from Idlib region's Tall Bazan on Murak, where a Turkish observation post is situated.

The regime attack was "deliberate" and was retaliated against with heavy weapons, according to the statement.

Partial material damage was reported, but without casualties. Additionally, necessary initiatives were taken with Moscow and the situation was being followed closely.

The Sochi agreement was reached in September between Ankara and Moscow, envisaging the preservation of the cease-fire in Idlib, with the withdrawal of heavy arms and radicals from the region.



Following eight months of calm provided by the Sochi deal, the regime has started to intensify its attacks since April 26 under the pretext of fighting Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) militants holed up in Idlib. The intermittent attacks and bombardments have killed, wounded and displaced many civilians.

On Thursday, the regime boldly expanded its attacks to another phase, targeting a Turkish observation point located inside the de-escalation zone in Idlib.



According to the Defense Ministry, Turkey's 10th observation post was "deliberately" targeted in a mortar attack in which three soldiers were wounded. The observation point located near Mount Zawiyah was targeted by 35 mortar rounds fired from the regime-controlled As Shariah region some 3 kilometers away, the statement said, adding that the observation point facility, equipment and other supplies were partially damaged, and the wounded soldiers were evacuated.

Çavuşoğlu on Saturday defined the attack as a "deliberate act of aggression," vowing retaliation if further attacks are carried out.



On Saturday, the Turkish military sent reinforcements to the targeted observation post.

While the attacks rendered Russia's announcement of a cease-fire on Thursday morning incoherent, Ankara pledged to retaliate if more attacks occur. Russian news agencies, citing the Russian military, reported Wednesday that Ankara and Moscow have brokered a complete cease-fire in Idlib between the Syrian regime and opposition forces, which has been applied to the Idlib de-escalation zone and led to a significant reduction in violence.



Yet, the Assad regime's attack came hours after the announcement and Çavuşoğlu said it is not possible to say that there is a complete cease-fire in Idlib.



"However, efforts continue in cooperation with Russia," he said.

On Friday, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also warned the Assad regime not to provoke Turkey through attacks targeting Turkish observation points in the region.

"If the regime attacks more Turkish observation points and continues to take such missteps, we won't remain silent. We want the deaths to stop in Syria, the bombing of Idlib with barrel and phosphorous bombs is inexcusable," Erdoğan told reporters in Istanbul before departing for Tajikistan to attend the Fifth Summit of Heads of State of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA).

The president said Turkey is listening to the voices of the Syrian people in the region, who are asking Ankara to intervene against the bloodshed.
The Syrian Army and the Turkish Land Forces exchange heavy fire in the northern Idlib Governorate, in what Turkish officials described as a deliberate mortar attack on one of their observation posts in Murak that wounded three Turkish troops.