Turkey launches Operation Spring Shield against Syrian forces - Al-Monitor: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

Amberin Zaman

Amberin Zaman

Mar 1, 2020

TOPSHOT - Smoke billows over the village of Qaminas, about 6 kilometres southeast of Idlib city in northwestern Syria, following reported Russian air strikes in northwestern Syria on March 1, 2020. (Photo by Ibrahim YASOUF / AFP) (Photo by IBRAHIM YASOUF/AFP via Getty Images) — Smoke billows over the village of Qaminas, about 6 kilometers (nearly 4 miles) southeast of Idlib city in northwestern Syria, following reported Russian airstrikes, March 1, 2020. — IBRAHIM YASOUF/AFP via Getty Images

Ankara said March 1 that it had launched Operation Spring Shield against the Syrian Arab Army on a day that saw Turkey down two Russian-made Syrian air force jets and Russian President Vladimir Putin agree to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on March 5 over the unfolding Idlib crisis.

Turkey said it had destroyed several air defense systems, more than 100 tanks and killed 2,212 members of the Syrian forces, including three top generals in drone strikes since Feb 27.

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