The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) has made a major military deployment to Syria's northwestern province of Idlib after months of relative calm in the region.
According to the Turkish daily Milliyet, a convoy of 70 vehicles, consisting of tanks and artillery, crossed the border Thursday and entered Idlib. The military convoy was deployed particularly to the Turkish observation points in Idlib.
Apart from the heavy deployment, the Turkish military also started to build a new military base in the southern part of Idlib, the daily reported.
Turkey's new deployments came following a rise in tension over the past week in the region that Bashar Assad regime forces are reported to have bombed once again.
On Wednesday, the Syrian regime and its backer Russia targeted the region, killing two and injuring 13 others.
The attack took place after months of relative calm thanks to a cease-fire between Turkey and Russia.
Since April 2018, attacks on the last opposition stronghold have dramatically intensified and caused new waves of refugees to move toward the Turkish border, putting Turkey, which already hosts over 3.5 million Syrians, in a difficult position.
As a result, Turkey, which has the second-largest army in the NATO alliance, has funneled troops and equipment into the region to stop the Syrian regime's advance and to avoid a fresh wave of refugees.
The campaign ended after the cease-fire was inked last March.
Currently, Turkish soldiers are stationed in the region to protect the local population and oppose terrorist groups.
Moscow has established a major presence in Syria, where its air force and military bases across the country have allowed Assad in recent years to defeat opposition who rose up against his authoritarian rule.
