Damaged buildings are seen in Maarat al-Numan city, Idlib Province, Syria, on Jan. 29, 2020. (Str/Xinhua)
According to coordinates provided by the Turkish side, there should not have been any Turkish units in Behun, where the terrorists launched their offensive, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.
MOSCOW, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Turkish soldiers who came under Syrian fire and were killed in the country's Idlib Province on Thursday were part of a terrorist group's battle formation, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement Friday.
The statement said that the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham terrorist group on Thursday attempted to conduct a large-scale offensive on the positions of Syrian government forces in the Idlib de-escalation zone.
To eliminate threats to Turkish observation posts and units in the Idlib de-escalation zone from retaliatory fire by Syrian government forces, the Russian Center for the Reconciliation of the Warring Parties has maintained constant contact with the Turkish Idlib Coordination Center, the statement added.
Representatives from the Russian center have been constantly kept up to date by their Turkish colleagues with the coordinates of all Turkish armed forces units located near terrorist combat zones, it said.
According to coordinates provided by the Turkish side, there should not have been any Turkish units in Behun, where the terrorists launched their offensive, the statement said.
It said the Russian side took "comprehensive measures" to ensure a complete ceasefire by the Syrian forces and safe evacuation of the dead and wounded Turkish troops to Turkey immediately after receiving information about the victims among the Turkish militants.
Meanwhile, the ministry's Zvezda broadcasting service said the frigates Admiral Makarov and Admiral Grigorovich of the Black Sea Fleet began the transition from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean, and are passing the Bosporus and Dardanelles.
The frigates, equipped with high-precision Kalibr cruise missile systems, will join the permanent Russian naval group in the Mediterranean Sea, it added.
The Governor of Turkey's southern Hatay Province told reporters on Thursday that a total of 22 Turkish soldiers were killed in Idlib as a result of the attack by Syrian government troops, while a number of others were seriously injured.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human rights said Thursday that 34 Turkish soldiers have been killed by Russian and Syrian airstrikes in Idlib. ■
