2020 Balyun airstrikes

On 27 February 2020, during the Dawn of Idlib 2 Operation, a joint airstrike was executed by the Russian and Syrian Air Forces against a convoy of the Turkish Army stationed in Balyun, within the Idlib Governorate. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reported that the assault resulted in the loss of 36 Turkish soldiers.[2] However, alternative sources suggested a significantly higher death toll, ranging from 50 to 100 casualties, marking it as the most lethal attack on Turkish forces since their engagement in the Syrian Civil War commenced.[4][8][9][10] The assault also inflicted injuries on an estimated 36 to 60 soldiers, with 16 of them reported to be in a critical state.[7][5] This incident represented the most substantial loss of life experienced by the Turkish Army on foreign territory since the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974.[11] In response to this attack, the Turkish Armed Forces initiated Operation Spring Shield in the province of Idlib.

2020 Balyun airstrikes
Part of the Northwestern Syria offensive (December 2019–March 2020)
Location
Balyun, Idlib Governorate, Syria
TargetTurkish Armed Forces
Date27 February 2020
Executed byRussia Russian Air Force
(denied by Russia)[1]
Syria Syrian Air Force
CasualtiesTurkey 36 soldiers killed
(per Turkey & SOHR)[2][3]
50–100 soldiers killed
(per other sources)[4][5][6]
36–60 wounded[7][5]

The strikes

At around 11 a.m. on 27 February 2020, a pair of Russian Sukhoi Su-34s accompanied by two Syrian Su-22 fighter bombers initiated a series intensive of bombing raids on Hayat Tahrir al-Sham forces in the southern countryside of Syria's Idlib province. As per Russian sources, following 1 p.m., Turkish troops launched over 15 attacks using MANPADS against the Russian and Syrian jets. There were reports of certain Russian aircraft allegedly sustaining damage while evading the barrage of fire.[5]

At around 5 p.m., a convoy consisting of a 400-man Turkish mechanized infantry battalion came under attack by an airstrike while traveling on the road between al-Bara and Balyun, about five kilometers north of Kafr Nabl. The convoy was first halted by a light airstrike carried out by a Su-22 aircraft. Subsequently, a second bombing forced 80 Turkish soldiers from the 65th Mechanised Infantry Brigade to seek shelter in nearby buildings.[11] According to Al-Monitor, it is suspected that the Russian jets dropped KAB-1500L bombs, resulting in the collapse of two buildings and trapping several soldiers under the debris.

Turkish retaliation
Further information: Operation Spring Shield

In response to this attack, the Turkish Armed Forces initiated Operation Spring Shield in the province of Idlib. Fighter aircraft, combat drones and ground fire were used in the retaliation.[12] Turkish combat drones entered Syrian airspace while Turkish Air Force F-16 fighter jets launched long range precision-guided munitions without entering Syrian airspace, according to Turkish sources.[13] According to independent estimates, the retaliatory strikes resulted in the death of approximately 197 to 405 Syrian forces.[14][15] However, the Turkish Defense Ministry had a significantly higher figure, claiming that the Syrian forces' casualties amounted to 3,138.[16]

Reactions
  • Greece: On 29 February 2020, the Greek delegation to NATO blocked a joint declaration intended to support Turkey regarding its military operation in Syria. According to Kathimerini, the reason for the veto was because the United States, United Kingdom, France and Germany denied a Greek demand to add a paragraph regarding the issue of refugees from Turkey to Greece.[17][18]
  • Russia: The following day, the Russian government denied it carried out airstrikes in the area and stated it made attempts to ensure the Syrian military ceased firing to allow the evacuation of the Turkish troops, but claimed that Turkish forces should not have been in the area, where "counter-terror operations" were taking place, and that Turkey failed to notify it about the soldiers' presence in advance.[5] The Turkish government claimed that the Russian military had already been notified of Turkish troop locations, as the two militaries had regularly liaised about these.[19]
  • United States: On 2 March 2020, the U.S. Secretary of Defence Mark Esper denied US air support for Turkey in Idlib. The Chairman of the US Joint Staffs General Mark Milley stated that they don't “have clear" intelligence of who was flying the planes that carried out the strike.[22] On 17 March 2020, the U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced new rounds of sanctions against Syrian government officials and also for the first time publicly accused Russia for being responsible for the deaths of Turkish troops in Syria, saying "We believe Russia has killed dozens of Turkish military personnel in the course of their military operation," but without naming a specific incident.[23][24]

Aftermath

On 27 February 2022, during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ukraine bombarded Russian forces with Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drones at the Kherson International Airport at Chornobaivka. The Turkish embassy in Kyiv reacted to these airstrikes, describing them as "revenge" against Russia for the 2020 Baylun incident and declaring that "there is such a thing as divine justice".[25]

References
  1. Agencies, Daily Sabah with (2020-02-28). "Russia denies involvement in airstrikes on Turkish troops in Idlib". Daily Sabah. Retrieved 2020-03-09.
  2. "Erdoğan: İdlib'te 36 askerimiz şehit oldu". BirGun. 29 February 2020. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  3. "At least 34 soldiers of the Turkish Forces were killed in airstrikes today". The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. February 27, 2020.
  4. SPIEGEL, DER. "Türkische Soldaten sterben durch Luftangriffe in Idlib - DER SPIEGEL - Politik". www.spiegel.de.
  5. Gurcan, Metin (February 28, 2020). "Deciphering Turkey's darkest night in Syria". Al-Monitor.
  6. Dozens of Turkish soldiers killed in strike in Idlib in Syria Archived 2020-02-29 at the Wayback Machine
    Erdoğan is reaping what he sowed: Turkey is on the brink of disaster in Syria
  7. "33 Turkish soldiers killed, 36 wounded in Syria's Idlib - live blog". Ahval. Archived from the original on 2020-12-14. Retrieved 2020-02-28.
  8. "Dozens of Turkish soldiers killed in strike in Idlib in Syria". MSN. Archived from the original on 2020-02-29. Retrieved 2020-02-28.
  9. Tisdall, Simon (March 2, 2020). "Erdoğan is reaping what he sowed: Turkey is on the brink of disaster in Syria". The Guardian.
  10. Gall, Carlotta (27 Feb 2020). "Airstrike Hits Turkish Forces in Syria, Raising Fears of Escalation". The New York Times. Retrieved 27 Feb 2020.
  11. Kemal, Levent (5 November 2021). "Turkey blamed Syria for a deadly air strike. Its troops blame Russia". Middle East Monitor. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  12. "329 rejim askeri etkisiz hale getirildi". TRT Haber. Anadolu Agency. 28 February 2020. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  13. "Son dakika İdlib'de rejim unsurlarına ağır darbe! Türk savaş uçakları hava sahası engelini böyle aştı..." Milliyet. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  14. Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (March 5, 2020). "Military escalation in "De-escalation zone" 51 days on: 1,200,000 people displaced…2,640 killed…276 areas fall to regime forces". Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  15. "The Syrian Regime's Combat Losses in Spring 2020, and What Lies Ahead". Middle East Institute. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  16. "Esed rejimine ağır darbe! 3 bin 138 rejim askeri etkisiz hale getirildi". Gunes. 3 March 2020. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  17. Kampouris, Nick. "Greece Vetoed NATO Communique Intended to Support Turkey". GreekReporter.com.
  18. "Greece 'vetoes NATO statement' on support for Turkey amid Syria escalation". www.tert.am. Archived from the original on 2020-03-03. Retrieved 2020-03-02.
  19. "The Strike: Did Russia Knowingly Target Turkish Troops?". POLYGRAPH.info. 2020-02-28. Retrieved 2020-03-09.
  20. Abdul-Ahad, Ghaith (March 2, 2020). "'Just run': on the Turkey-Greece border as refugees try to break through". the Guardian.
  21. Tuysuz, Gul; Sariyuce, Isil (27 Feb 2020). "At least 29 Turkish soldiers killed in an air attack by Syrian regime, Turkish governor says". CNN. CNN. Retrieved 27 Feb 2020.
  22. "Pentagon chief says no U.S. air support for Turkey in Idlib - live blog". Ahval. Archived from the original on 2020-03-03. Retrieved 2020-03-02.
  23. "Pompeo says Russia responsible for Turkish soldiers' deaths". France 24. March 17, 2020. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  24. "[Ticker] US: Russia, not Syria, killed Turkish soldiers". EUobserver. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  25. "Russia-Ukraine war: 'First footage ever' shows Turkish drone strike Russian forces". Middle East Eye. 27 February 2022.

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