Damascus accuses Turkey of being in cahoots with Israel in supporting terrorism

Damascus has strongly condemned the near-simultaneous deployment of Turkish military forces to Syria’s embattled northwestern province of Idlib and the recent Israeli air aggression against the Arab country, saying the developments proves that Ankara works hand in glove with the Tel Aviv regime in supporting terrorism.

News ID: 448889

Date: 07 February 2020 - 11:38

RNA - Damascus has strongly condemned the near-simultaneous deployment of Turkish military forces to Syria’s embattled northwestern province of Idlib and the recent Israeli air aggression against the Arab country, saying the developments proves that Ankara works hand in glove with the Tel Aviv regime in supporting terrorism.

“Turkish forces, in a close collaboration and exposed concurrence, and under the cover of the Israeli aggression, infringed upon Syrian borders and were deployed in areas stretching between the towns of Binnish, Ma'arrat Misrin and Taftanaz. Such a step affirms the common interests of Turkish and Israeli regimes regarding the protection of terrorists, particularly Jabhat Fatah al-Sham (formerly known as Nusra Front), and to impede the advancement of Syrian army in Idlib and Aleppo, and to prevent the complete defeat of their proxies in Syria,” an unnamed source at the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates said in a statement carried by Syria’s official news agency SANA on Thursday.

He added that both the Turkish military deployment and the Israeli airstrikes in the early hours of Thursday were blatant violation of Syrian sovereignty and international law, and clearly showed the entire world the parties that support, sponsor and protect terrorism in Syria. Such incidents took the mask off the face of Turkish leader (Recep Tayyip Erdogan) who used to express hostility towards Israel.

“The Syrian Arab Republic reiterates that acts of aggression, either by the Turkish regime or Israel or both of them, will not prevent the Syrian army from continuing its campaign against terrorism until the entire Syrian territories are liberated and completely purged from the presence of terror groups,” the diplomat highlighted.

SANA, citing a statement released by the Syrian General Command of the Army and Armed Forces, reported that a Turkish military convoy, including a number of armored vehicles, had passed from Oglinar area into Syria and was deployed along the line linking the towns of Binnish, Ma'arrat Misrin and Taftanaz early on Thursday.

The development took place shortly after Syrian air defense forces intercepted several missiles launched from the occupied Golan Heights and southern Lebanon targeting al-Kiswa area, Marj al-Sultan, Baghdad Bridge and South of Izra' around the capital, Damascus.

Syrian army soldiers enter key northwestern city of Saraqib

Meanwhile, Syrian government forces have entered the city of Saraqib in Idlib province.

The so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said in a report corroborated by witnesses that Syrian troops marched through the city, situated 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) east of Idlib city on Thursday following battles with foreign-sponsored Takfiri militants.

According to SANA, Syrian army units have also liberated the town of Afes, north of Saraqib in eastern Idlib countryside, and the villages of al-Zahabiya, Jadidate Talafeh, Talafeh and Gilas to the west of Abu al-Duhour after major advances against terrorists, establishing control over the highway that connects Aleppo to Saraqib.

The Syrian forces also killed and injured large number of terrorists during the operation, while a number of terrorists fled away.

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