 | This article needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(December 2024) |
| Turkish military operation in Idlib Governorate | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of theTurkish involvement in theSyrian civil war | ||||||||
 Turkish flags represent Turkish observation posts and other military installations as of 20 December 2020 | ||||||||
| ||||||||
| Belligerents | ||||||||
 Syrian Arab Republic   Hezbollah |  Al-Qaeda Anti-ceasefire Hayat Tahrir al-Sham factions | |||||||
| Units involved | ||||||||
| Unknown | |||||||
| Strength | ||||||||
 20,000—30,000[8] | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | ||||||||
54 soldiers, 2 civilian including baylun Airstrike contractors[9][note 1] Unknown | PerSOHR:[12] 170 soldiers and 27 militiamen killed(between 15th of January and the 5th of March 2020). Per Middle East Institute:[13] 405 government soldiers and militias killedPer Turkey:[14] 3,136 soldiers and militiamen killed or wounded |   4 killed by TAF | ||||||
TheTurkish military operation in Idlib Governorate (Turkish:İdlib Harekâtı), code-namedIdlib De-escalation Control Force activities[15] (Turkish:İdlib Gerginliği Azaltma Kontrol Gücü faaliyetleri) byTurkey, was an operation by theTurkish Armed Forces which started in October 2017, following the earlierOperation Euphrates Shield. It was the third cross-border operation by the Turkish military, following Operation Euphrates Shield andOperation Shah Euphrates.
The operation was launched following the2017 Astana agreement and subsequent Sochi agreement between Turkey, Russia and Iran. Among other things, the two agreements contained provisions for the Turkish Armed Forces to set up and maintain 12observation posts within resistance-held territories in theIdlib Governorate.[16]
The Turkish Armed Forces set up their first observation outposts in Idlib in October 2017.[17] Following their deployment, there were reports of minor clashes withHayat Tahrir al-Sham militants.[18]
In February, theTurkish military observation outposts were expanded into northern and southeasternIdlib Governorate.[19][20] On 6 February, a Turkish observation was attacked by rockets and mortars, killing a Turkish soldier and wounding five others.[21]
On 22 May, the Turkish army established its twelfth and last military observation post in Idlib province.[22]
On 15 September 2018, the Turkish observation posts were made an official part of the2018 Idlib demilitarization agreement.[23]
Following the start of the2019 Northwestern Syria offensive, Turkish observation posts exchanged artillery fire withSyrian Army units multiple times.
In August 2019, the Turkish Armed Forces constructed an unofficial 13th observation post atMaar Hattat, 10 kilometers south ofMa'arrat al-Nu'man.[24][25][26]
In late August 2019, the Turkish observation post atMorek was fullyencircled by the Syrian Army after it captured a rebel pocket in the region.[27] The Turkish government announced that it would not move or dismantle the post.[28]
In late December 2019, the Turkish observation post nearSarman was encircled by the Syrian Army during the course of itsAutumn offensive. Turkey has stated that it would not evacuate the post.[29]
On 30 January 2020, following the Syrian Army's capture ofMa'arrat al-Nu'man, the Turkish Army set up two more observation posts – just South and North of the town ofSaraqib. It then established a third post to the east of the town on 1 February.[30][31]
On 1 February 2020, the Syrian military encircled the Turkish observation post at Maar Hattat,[32] which was built following the Syrian Army's capture ofKhan Shaykhun in the summer of 2019.[33]
On 3 February 2020, Syrian Army shelling killed seven Turkish soldiers and one civilian contractor. Seven soldiers were also wounded. The Turkish Army retaliated by targeting Syrian Army positions with artillery and howitzer fire, resulting in 13 dead.[34][35][36][37]
On 5 February, the Syrian Army captured the village ofTell Touqan and thus encircled the Turkish observation post located there. It was not immediately made clear whether or not the post was placed under siege.[38]
On 6 February, the Turkish Armed Forces established a new outpost atTaftanaz Military Airbase.[39] It was reportedly targeted by theSyrian Air Force just hours after its establishment.[40] The Syrian Army completely encircled the town ofSaraqib, which hosts four unofficial TAF military installations.[41]
On 7 February, the Turkish Armed Forces created a new military post east ofIdlib City, just west of Saraqib.[42]
On 8 February, the Turkish Armed Forces established yet another military post, this time located in theAl-Mastumah area betweenIdlib City andAriha.[43] A day after the Syrian Army began encircling the Turkish observation post atAl-Eiss,[44] it managed to capture both the town and its corresponding hill after the rebel forces that previously controlled it withdrew following a three-pronged envelopment by government forces.[45]
On 10 February, five or six Turkish soldiers were killed and another seven were wounded due to artillery fire from theSyrian Armed Forces.[46]
On 14 February, the Turkish army set up a base atDeir Sunbul village.[47]
On 15 February, the Turkish army established two new military posts nearDarat Izza.[48]
On 16 February, the Syrian Army shelled the Turkish military post at Shekh Aqil, reportedly injuring many Turkish soldiers.[49]
On 17 February, theSyrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the Turkish military had established several more military posts, bringing the total number of official and unofficial Turkish military installations in Idlib up to 35.[50]
On 20 February, 2 Turkish soldiers died and 5 were reported wounded while they were assaulting, along with their proxies, the town of Al-Nayrab.[51]
On 26 February, 2 Turkish troops were killed and several others were reported wounded following a Syrian airstrike in Idlib province.[52] The Syrian Army captured Deir Sunbul,[53][54] besieging the nearby Turkish observation post stationed nearby in an area called Sheir Maghar.[55]
On 27 February, at least 33 Turkish soldiers were killed bySyrian or Russian airstrikes.[56] Rebel forces advanced on Saraqeb under the cover of Turkish missile fire, thus managing to recapture the town and lift the siege imposed on three of the four surrounding Turkish observation posts – to the north, west and south of the town. The eastern observation post remained surrounded by government forces.[57][53]
On 28 February, one Turkish soldier died and six more were wounded in Syrian air and artillery strikes in Idlib.[58]
Between 28 February and 6 March at least 165 Syrian soldiers and militiamen loyal to them were killed by Turkish Armed Forces in retaliation to Balyun airstrikes that killed at least 34 Turkish soldiers.[59] Based on open source data, some think tanks stated that 405 regime soldiers, including 30 high-ranking officers, were killed in the Turkish army's counter-offensive and more than 70 tanks and armored vehicles were destroyed.[13]New Lines Institute reported that it received information from sources close to the American government, and that as a result of the Turkish Armed Forces' attack, the Syrian Army lost 3 warplanes, 3 UAVs, 8 helicopters, 135 tanks, 86 artillery and MLRS, 77 armored vehicles and many more. It was also stated that an average of 60 regime soldiers were thought to have been killed per day between February 27 and March 5.[60]
| This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(June 2023) |
On 18 March, Turkish troops entered the de-escalation zone to reopen the M4 highway previously blocked byHayat Tahrir al-Sham and jihadist factions.[61]
On April 26, Turkish forces killed 4 fighters of Hayyaat Tahrir Al-Sham in Idlib.[62]
On 5 May, Syrian forces destroyed a Turkish bulldozer with a missile in Al-Dweir checkpoint north of Saraqeb. A second bulldozer sent to retrieve the first was in turn destroyed by another missile, killing and wounding the drivers.[63]
On 27 May, the Turkish Ministry of Defense announced the death of a Turkish soldier by an explosion in the Aleppo-Latakia Highway in northwestern Idlib.[64] A convoy of Turkish military vehicles and opposition factions was targeted by a IED, Turkish helicopters evacuated the wounded to Al-Rayhaniyyah.[65]
On 9 September, the Turkish Armed forces said that Brigadier General Sezgin Erdoğan died while on duty on Idlib, Syria. According to Turkish officials, Sezgin Erdoğan died in a hospital after falling ill.[66]
On 19 October 2020, Turkey withdrew its military presence from its base at Morek, Hama Governorate.[67]
On 27 November 2024, a coalition ofSyrian opposition groups called theMilitary Operations Command[68] led byHay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and supported by alliedTurkish-backed groups[69][70][71] in theSyrian National Army (SNA) launched an offensive against the pro-governmentSyrian Arab Army (SAA) forces inIdlib,Aleppo andHama Governorates inSyria. The operation was codenamedDeterrence of Aggression[a] by HTS and stated as being launched in retaliation for the increased SAA shelling of civilians in the Western Aleppo countryside.[72] This is the first time that opposition forces in theSyrian civil war launched a military offensive campaign since theMarch 2020 Idlib ceasefire.[73][74]
On 29 November 2024, HTS and later theSyrian Democratic Forces (SDF) enteredAleppo andcaptured most of the city, amid the collapse of pro-government forces. The next day, opposition forces made rapid advances, capturing dozens of towns and villages as pro-government forces disintegrated, and advanced towardHama in central Syria, subsequently capturing it on 5 December. By 6 December, the SDF capturedDeir ez-Zor in anoffensive east of theEuphrates, while the newly formedSouthern Operations Room and Al-Jabal Brigade capturedDaraa andSuwayda in anoffensive in the south. The HTSadvanced further south towardHoms. The US-backedSyrian Free Army (SFA)took control of Palmyra in the southeast of the country.[75]
On 7 December 2024,Southern Front forces entered theRif Dimashq Governorate from the south, and came within 10 kilometers of the capitalDamascus. Later, opposition forces were reported to have entered the suburbs of the capital.[76] SFA forces moved towards the capital from the south east.[77][better source needed] By 8 December, they had capturedHoms, which effectively cut Assad's forces from Syria's coast.[78]
On 8 December 2024, rebelscaptured the capitalDamascus, topplingBashar al-Assad's government andending the Assad family's 53-year long rule over the country.[79] According to sources fromTurkish Defense Ministry, the tasks of the Turkish Armed Forces have not been completed yet in Syria. "Depending on the need, the redeployment of our troops in Syria or their assignment to different regions may be considered”.[80]
The following is a non-exhaustive list of observation posts and other military installations of the Turkish Armed Forces in Idlib:[2][81][82][83]
| List of observation posts | ||
| Location | Order of Construction | Date of Construction |
|---|---|---|
| Salva village nearAl-Dana | 1 | 13 October 2017 |
| Samaan village nearDarat Izza | 2 | 23 October 2017 |
| Aquil Mountain nearDarat Izza | 3 | 19 November 2017 |
| Al-Eiss nearAl-Hadher | 4 | 5 February 2018 |
| Tell Touqan | 5 | 9 February 2018 |
| Sarman | 6 | 15 February 2018 |
| Anadan | 7 | 17 March 2018 |
| Zaytuneh | 8 | 3 April 2018 |
| Morek | 9 | 7 April 2018 |
| Rashidin in WesternAleppo | 10 | 9 May 2018 |
| Zawiyah (Sheir Maghar) in southernIdlib | 11 | 14 May 2018 |
| Ishtabrak in southwestern Idlib | 12 | 16 May 2018 |
| Maar Hattat | 13 | 20 August 2019 |
| Al-Tarnbah | 14 | February 2020 |
| Al-Nayrab | 15 | February 2020 |
| Al-Mughir | 16 | February 2020 |
| Qminas | 17 | February 2020 |
| Sarmin | 18 | February 2020 |
| Taftanaz Military Airbase | 19 | February 2020 |
| Maarat al-Naasan | 20 | February 2020 |
| Maarrat Misrin | 21 | February 2020 |
| Al-Jinah | 22 | February 2020 |
| Kafr Karmin | 23 | February 2020 |
| Al-Tawama | 24 | February 2020 |
| Al-Fawj 111 | 25 | February 2020 |
| Campal-Mastumah | 26 | February 2020 |
| Termanin | 27 | February 2020 |
| Atarib | 28 | February 2020 |
| Darat Izza | 29 | February 2020 |
| Al-Barqali | 30 | February 2020 |
| Nahli | 31 | February 2020 |
| Maataram | 32 | February 2020 |
| Sangul | 33 | February 2020 |
| Nabi Ayyub | 34 | February 2020 |
| Zabour | 35 | February 2020 |
| Battu | 36 | 2020 |
| Battu (2) | 37 | 2020 |
| Kafr Nouran | 38 | 2020 |
| Al-Ibzmo | 39 | 2020 |
| Ram Hamdan | 40 | 2020 |
| Al-Jinah (2) | 41 | 2020 |
| Batabu | 42 | 2020 |
| Sindiran | 43 | 2020 |
| Baddaran | 44 | 2020 |
| Al-Ibzmu (2) | 45 | 2020 |
| Ram Hamdan (2) | 46 | 2020 |
| Al-Jinah (3) | 47 | 2020 |
| Bainasarah | 48 | 2020 |
| Sanshiran | 49 | 2020 |
| Al-Ibzmu (3) | 50 | 2020 |
| Ram Hamdan (3) | 51 | 2020 |
| Al-Jinah (4) | 52 | 2020 |
| Diranjeh | 53 | 2020 |
| Bdirnoran | 54 | 2020 |
| Al-Ibzmu (4) | 55 | 2020 |
| Ram Hamdan (4) | 56 | 2020 |
| Al-Jinah (5) | 57 | 2020 |
| Battu (3) | 58 | 2020 |
| Sanshiran (2) | 59 | 2020 |
| al-Nabi al-Nabi Ayyub | 60 | 2020 |
| Jericho | 61 | 2020 |
| Jannat al-Qura | 62 | 2020 |
| Bassamas | 63 | 2020 |
| Tell al-Nabi Ayyub | 64 | 2020 |
| al-Qiyasat | 65 | 2020 |
| Bisnqul | 66 | 2020 |
| Maarat Marian | 67 | 2020 |
| Mantaf | 68 | 2020 |
| Muhambal | 69 | 2020 |
| Tal Arqam | 70 | 2020 |
| Qafin | 71 | 2020 |
| Colour key |
|---|
Official observation posts |
Unofficial observation posts |
Observation posts that Turkey has withdrawn from |
Ba'athist Syria: An unnamed source at Syria's Foreign Ministry said, "The Turkish regime must abide by what was agreed in Astana."[84][85]
Army of Revolutionaries: Ahmed Sultan, commander of the Army of Revolutionaries, accused Turkey of selling Idlib to the Syrian regime, Iran and Russia and called upon the people of Idlib to resist the planned Turkish, Iranian, and Russian intervention in Idlib.[86]
Russia: The head of the Russian delegation for theAstana talks, Alexander Lavrentyev, said that Russia was ready to act as a mediator between the Syrian government and Turkey regarding the situation in Idlib.[87]
United Nations: The UN's special envoy to Syria,Staffan de Mistura, said the creation of a fourth de-escalation zone is a positive development.[88]Turkish drone and artillery strikes, alongside rebel fighters, killed at least 405 pro-regime fighters between February 27 and March 5. Damascus also lost at least 73 armored vehicles to drone strikes and rebel anti-tank guided missile operators during the Turkish operation...In one week, this Turkish offensive, supporting a rebel ground offensive, killed at least 405 pro-regime fighters, including 30 high-ranking officers, and led to the destruction or capture of 73 armored vehicles. Among the dead was an entire Republican Guards operations room consisting of the commander of the 124th Brigade, his battalion commander, and a lt. colonel and major from the brigade; a Syrian Hezbollah commander; and the operations commander and three field commanders of the Tiger Force's Taha Regiment.
In the space of a week, Turkey's air campaign appears to have destroyed the following (I'm told that the U.S. government considers this information "more or less" accurate):3 fighter jets,3 aerial drones,8 helicopters,135 tanks,86 artillery and multiple rocket launch (MRL) systems,77 armored vehicles,9 arms depots,5 air defense systems,16 anti-tank guided missile and mortar positions.Perhaps more significant than weapons losses were the hundreds of pro-regime personnel killed in Turkey's strikes – an average of 60 per day from Feb. 28 to March 5.
The latest offensive has been led by an Islamist militant group known at Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and allied factions backed by Turkey.
With Assad backed by Russia and Iran, and Turkey supporting some of the rebels in the northwest where it maintains troops, the offensive has brought into focus the conflict's knotted geopolitics.
The insurgents, led by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al Sham and including Turkey-backed fighters, also claim to be in control of all of Idlib province after launching their offensive on Wednesday.
