A Russian air strike in Syria accidentally killed three Turkish soldiers and wounded 11 others yesterday, in an incident that risks straining relations between the two main foreign power brokers in the conflict.
Vladimir Putin, Russian president, expressed his condolences over the “tragic incident” and both sides agreed to “develop military co-ordination” for their Syria operations, the Kremlin said.
The air strike that killed the soldiers hit a building on the outskirts of al-Bab, an Isis stronghold on which both Turkish troops and the Syrian regime are closing in.
Russia, which has intervened militarily to support Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian president, has been bombing Isis targets in and around the town.
The incident underlines how the battle for al-Bab has become a potential flashpoint among the myriad forces fighting in Syria. Turkey and Russia have co-ordinated their air strikes on the town since a marked improvement in their relations in recent months.
On the ground, Turkish troops and their rebel allies have advanced on the outskirts of al-Bab, just as Syrian regime soldiers have moved northwards towards the town, heightening speculation that the rival forces are co- ordinating in the fight against Isis.
Any such co-operation would be conducted through Russia, rebels and analysts say. But the concurring advances risk sparking clashes between the Syrian adversaries.
War planes from the US-led coalition also carried out a half-dozen air strikes in and around al-Bab this week.
The Turkish military said both Ankara and Moscow were investigating the Russian air strike. A Turkish official said it was not expected to harm relations between the two countries, citing how ties were not damaged when a Turkish police officer shot and killed Russia’s ambassador in December.
“If relations were not affected by the Ankara incident, they won’t fall apart over this,” the official said. “But we will be thorough in the investigation, and will look for co-operation with Russia on this.”
Relations between the countries hit a low after Turkey, the main supporter of Syrian rebels, shot down a Russian jet near the Syrian border in November 2015. But after a rapprochement, Moscow and Ankara are now leading efforts to end Syria’s six-year conflict.
