Two Turkish soldiers killed in northern Syria

Syrians burn tyres as they protest in front of a Turkish military outpost during a demonstration against Turkey's perceived inaction over the latest Syrian regime attacks, in the town of Maataram near Ariha in the rebel-held northwestern Idlib province, on July 23, 2021. (File/AFP)

ISTANBUL: Two Turkish soldiers were killed and two others wounded in areas of northern Syria under Ankara’s control to keep out militants and Kurdish rebels, the defense ministry tweeted Sunday.
The ministry said “terrorists” targeted a Turkish military vehicle on Saturday in the Euphrates Shield region south of the border, but did not specify which group they represented.
Turkey launched Operation Euphrates Shield in 2016 in order to drive away from its border region Daesh militants and Syrian Kurdish militia forces deemed “terrorists” by Ankara.
The Euphrates Shield region includes the towns of Jarablus and Al-Bab near the Turkish border.
After the attack, “the terror targets were hit” in retaliation, the ministry said.
Ankara views Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) as an offshoot of outlawed militants who have been waging a deadly insurgency against the Turkish state.