On January 16, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) artillery shelled a post of the Turkish military located in the outskirt of the town of Kansafra in the southern part of the Greater Idlib region.

According to the several Syrian pro-oppositions news sources, the shelling wounded three of the post’s guards. The wounded were reportedly Turkish service members and Syrian militants of the Turkish-backed Sham Legion.

Less than a week ago, several Turkish service members were reportedly lightly wounded when the SAA artillery targeted Kansafra post.

Kansafra was not the only Turkish post to be targeted by the SAA. The army’s artillery also pounded the outskirts of a Turkish post located near the town of Qoqfin, to the west of Kansafra, on January 15 and 16. No casualties or material losses were reported, however.

The real target of the SAA’s recent artillery strikes was likely militants of al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham and its Turkish-backed allies, who usually take shelter near Turkish posts.

The Turkish military maintains more than 60 positions in Greater Idlib. The newest post was built in the town of Afes on January 8.

Turkey’s views its large military presence in Greater Idlib as a mean to deter Syrian government forces and their allies. Ankara appears to be planning to keep its forces in the region for the long term, if not permanently.

Source: South Front