, whichA Turkish military vehicle drives on M4 highway links the northern Syrian provinces of Aleppo and Latakia, near the village of al-Nayrab, about 14 kilometres southeast of the city of Idlib and seven kilometres west of Saraqib in northwestern Syria on March 21, 2020.

A Turkish military vehicle drives near the village of al-Nayrab, southeast of the city of Idlib in northwestern Syria on March 21, 2020. (File photo: AP)

Turkish soldier dead after explosion in Syria’s Idlib: Turkey defense minister

Follow Followed Unfollow

Reuters, Istanbul

Published: 27 May ,2020: 06:01 PM GST Updated: 27 May ,2020: 10:07 PM GST

Turkey’s defense ministry has announced the death of a Turkish soldier in Idlib, the last opposition-held territory in northwest Syria.

In a statement Wednesday, the ministry said the soldier was wounded in an explosion and died later in a hospital. It said the explosion took place in an area about 250 meters (820 feet) south of a road patrolled by Turkish forces. The cause of the explosion was not immediately clear.

At least 66 Turkish soldiers have been killed in Idlib this year.

Turkey and Russia brokered a cease-fire in March to halt a three-month Syrian government offensive aimed at capturing the province. Turkey backs some of the opposition groups in Idlib and Russia backs Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The Russia-backed offensive killed hundreds of civilians and displaced nearly a million people.

Coronavirus: Syria loosens lockdown as number of infections continues to surge

Link between Lebanon and Syria's economies spells disaster for both

Get the latest stories from AlArabiya on Google News