Turkish soldiers injured in blast in Syria’s Idlib province

At least two Turkish soldiers were injured on Wednesday when a roadside bomb targeted their military convoy on an international highway in southern Idlib province, according to reports.

The wounded soldiers were an officer and a conscript according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Local sources told The New Arab’s Arabic-language service that an explosion was heard near the city of Ariha on the M4 highway, which links the cities of Aleppo and Latakia and passes through Idlib province. The explosion was followed by gunfire.

Turkish helicopters arrived at the scene of the explosion to transport the wounded soldiers - who were on a reconnaissance mission - back to Turkey for treatment.

The incident took place after another explosion happened at an ammunitions dump belonging to the Turkestan Islamic Party, an Uighur-dominated Islamist group, killing six militants.

Russian aircraft were observed flying over the site  in Jisr al-Shighour and there are suspicions that it was the result of a Russian airstrike.

Read also: Enemy of my enemy - Turkey's rivals are normalising Assad's regime with an eye on Ankara

A Russian-Turkish sponsored ceasefire has been in place in rebel-held Idlib province since 5 March, but it is frequently violated by the regime.

Between November and February, hundreds of people were killed and more than a million displaced in a brutal regime and Russian campaign against the area.

The Syrian "First Responders Team" NGO reported on Wednesday that the number of people who have returned to their homes since the ceasefire was signed was now 281,709.

The First Responders Team said that refugees were only returning towns and villages far away from the frontlines.

The homes they were returning to had been damaged by bombing and were in danger of collapse.

On Tuesday night and Wednesday morning the Syrian regime shelled rebel-held areas of western Aleppo province in violation of the ceasefire.

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