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A10 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 12 February 2020
Rebels shoot down Syrian helicopter as fighting intensifies

By BASSEM MROUE and ernment forces from reach-
SUZAN FRASER ing the border areas with
Associated Press Turkey. The country is home
BEIRUT (AP) — Rebels shot to some 3.6 million Syrian
down a Syrian military he- refugees and is concerned
licopter in northern Syria about more streaming in.
on Tuesday, killing its crew Turkey's defense minister
members in a fiery crash, told The Associated Press
while the government kept that Ankara has as many as
up its relentless bombing four observation posts and
campaign on the oppo- two military positions in Syr-
sition-held region, with an ian government-controlled
airstrike in which seven ci- territory, warning that Turk-
vilians died, activists and ish soldiers were under or-
news reports said. ders to retaliate forcefully
The violence in Idlib prov- to any attacks.
ince came as government Defense Minister Hulusi
troops moved closer to Akar said in the interview
capturing the last rebel- that Turkey would not va-
controlled section of a cate any of its 12 observa-
strategic highway linking tion posts in Idlib.
southern and northern Syr- "In the event of any action
ia, which would bring the against them, they have
road under the full control Syrian government helicopter is shot by a missile in Idlib province, Syria, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020. been given instructions to
of President Bashar Assad's Associated Press retaliate even more pow-
forces for the first time since and surging north toward in its ninth year. Hundreds losing it last week, accord- erfully," he said.
2012. the Turkish border. of civilians have died in the ing to opposition activists. The Turkish Defense Ministry
With support from Rus- Nearly a quarter of the 3 latest fighting, according Associated Press video tweeted that more than 50
sia and Iran, Syrian troops million people in Idlib and to the United Nations. showed the helicopter Syrian government troops
have been on the offensive nearby areas have fled. The Syrian helicopter gun- spiraling from the sky and were "neutralized" in Idlib
for weeks in Idlib and parts Terrified families piled onto ship was shot down by in- breaking up as fire poured province, without giving
of nearby Aleppo provinc- trucks and other vehicles, surgents amid fighting near from its fuselage, just be- details of the circumstanc-
es, unleashing a humani- clogging muddy rural roads the village of Nairab as reb- fore it crashed. Two bod- es. The claim could not be
tarian crisis with 700,000 in yet another harrowing els, backed by Turkish artil- ies could be seen on the independently verified and
people fleeing their homes exodus in the conflict, now lery, tried to retake it after ground. military officials could not
Turkey's official Anadolu immediately be reached
news agency reported that for comment.
the pilot and two others The Syrian army said the
aboard were killed, while Turkish threats "will not dis-
opposition activists re- suade the (Syrian) army
ported that only two crew from continuing its op-
members were on board. erations in Idlib and west-
Hours later, a Syrian air- ern Aleppo province to
strike hit the city of Idlib, the cleanse them of terrorism."
provincial capital, killing It warned that the military
seven people and wound- is ready to respond to the
ing nearly two dozen, ac- "aggression of Turkish occu-
cording to the Syrian Civil piers."
Defense, also known as Turkish President Re-
White Helmets. The Britain- cep Tayyip Erdogan also
based Syrian Observatory warned Assad's govern-
for Human Rights said the ment that it will "pay a very,
airstrike killed 12 civilians, very heavy price" for at-
half of them children, and tacks on Turkish troops.
wounded about 30. At a speech in Ankara,
Opposition activists said he said he would explain
the airstrike on Idlib, home Turkey's next steps in Idlib
to about 800,000 people, province at a ruling party
was carried out in response meeting Wednesday.
to the downing of the heli- He said the offensive in Idlib
copter. was threatening Turkey's re-
The fighting recently esca- lations with Russia.
lated with two separate "There have been very im-
clashes between Syrian portant results from our
and Turkish troops, killing 13 cooperation, but unfortu-
on each side, including five nately the regime's attacks
Turkish soldiers who were in Idlib, killing civilians and
killed Monday. attacking our troops, have
Turkey, a main backer of begun to do a great deal
the rebels, has rolled ar- of damage to this part-
mored vehicles into Idlib, nership," he told a news
apparently to prevent gov- conference.q