Soldier dies in Turkish-controlled north Syria: Ministry
Soldier dies in Turkish-controlled north Syria: Ministry
The Turkish soldier was killed during a skirmish with Kurdish militia forces.
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Syrian fighters from the Turkish-backed Hamza faction drive through the village of Bassouta [Getty]
A Turkish soldier was killed in Turkish-controlled northern Syria on Thursday during clashes with Kurdish militia forces deemed "terrorists" by Ankara, the defence ministry tweeted.
"One fellow heroic soldier fell martyr in clashes" as fighters from the People's Protection Units (YPG) militia sought to infiltrate the Afrin region, the ministry said.
Read more: Syria Insight: Idlib comes under focus after Turkish troop movements
Ankara sees the YPG as an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is waging an insurgency in Turkey.
Turkey and its Syrian proxies control several pockets of territory on Syria's side of the border following three military incursions since 2016 against the Islamic State group (IS) and the YPG.
In 2018, Turkish forces and their Syrian auxiliaries ousted the Kurdish militia from the Afrin region, about 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the border, during Operation Olive Branch.
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