Turkish military shells positions in support of Free Syrian Army in Idlib: Report

ANKARA

The Turkish Armed Forces on Oct. 8 shelled positions in Syria’s jihadist-controlled Idlib in support of the progression of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) fighters on the ground, a day after Ankara announced the start of an operation there, private broadcaster NTV has reported.

The broadcaster quoted military sources as saying that howitzers on the border fired around five shots in support of FSA fighters who had entered Idlib, which is largely controlled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a former al-Qaeda affiliate that changed its name last year from the Nusra Front.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Oct. 7 announced that a “serious operation” had begun in Idlib, but said there were not any Turkish troops on the ground yet.