2 Turkish soldiers killed, 3 injured in northwestern Syria

At least two Turkish soldiers were killed, three others injured in an attack in northwestern Syria, Turkey's National Defense Ministry said on Saturday.

The attack occurred after a search and scanning activity in the Idlib de-escalation zone, a statement by the ministry said.

Turkey's National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar conveyed condolences for the fallen soldiers and his wishes of a speedy recovery for the injured on the ministry’s Twitter account.

Idlib falls within a de-escalation zone forged under an agreement between Turkey and Russia in March 2020.

The Syrian regime, however, has consistently violated the terms of the cease-fire, launching frequent attacks inside the de-escalation zone.

Syria has been mired in a vicious civil war since early 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with unexpected ferocity.

Over the past decade, around half a million people have been killed and more than 12 million had to flee their homes.