Idlib: Syria militants hit joint Russia-Turkey patrol

Three Russian and a number of Turkish soldiers were injured this morning after Syrian militants struck their joint patrol using a roadside bomb, the Russian Defence Ministry said.

According to the ministry, Russia pulled back the patrol following the blast near the town of Ariha in Idlib province that damaged one Russian and one Turkish armoured personnel carrier.

The ministry has said its base in Khmeimim in Syria has been attacked by drones allegedly flown by Syrian rebel and extremist groups in Idlib.

Following the attacks, Russia launched air strikes in northern Syria.

#Syria #Idlib
A car bomb has targeted the Russian military vehicle at the entrance of #Ariha city during the Russian-Turkish joint patrol on the #M4 highway. Several forces reportedly wounded. pic.twitter.com/qEsDg3nUg4

— IWN (@A7_Mirza) July 14, 2020

Russia has been conducting joint patrols with Turkey along the M4 highway in Syria as part of the terms of a ceasefire agreement signed earlier this year.

Last month, Turkey’s Defence Ministry announced that the 17th joint Turkey-Russia patrol in northwestern Syria’s Idlib province was lightly damaged due to detonation of an unidentified explosive.

On 18 June, Turkish-Russian forces were attacked during a joint patrol on the M4 highway in Syria’s Idlib province, no personnel were harmed.

READ: The Russia-Turkey Idlib deal is as bad as Trump’s ‘deal of the century’