Three Turkish Soldiers Killed in Russian Airstrike in Syria

The Turkish army announced on Thursday that three of its soldiers were killed in an accidental airstrike by Russian fighter jets in an area where Turkish forces were conducting operations against the Islamic State group. According to Reuters, the Turkish army stated in a statement that a bomb hit a building used by Turkish forces during the Russian air operation in the area where Operation Euphrates Shield was ongoing. The statement also mentioned that eleven Turkish soldiers were injured in this attack. Meanwhile, the Kremlin announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed condolences in a phone call with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, stating that the lack of necessary coordination between Moscow and Ankara was a factor in this incident. Syrian rebels, supported by Turkey, have been conducting an operation named 'Euphrates Shield' in Syrian territory since August of last year. Turkey claims that the goal of Operation Euphrates Shield is to clear border areas of Islamic State forces and Kurdish militants. According to Reuters, Syrian army forces and Syrian rebels are trying to capture the city of al-Bab, located 30 kilometers from the Turkish border, from the Islamic State group. Meanwhile, a commander of the Free Syrian Army, alongside Turkish forces, stated that the advance towards the western gate of the city of al-Bab continues. This commander mentioned that operations began in the area on Wednesday, and battles continued on Thursday to consolidate positions gained and further advance. The civil war in Syria has left hundreds of thousands dead and millions displaced over the past six years. Currently, in addition to Russia and Turkey, a U.S.-led coalition is also targeting extremist Islamic groups, including the Islamic State. Iran and Shiite militias are also supporting Bashar al-Assad's government in the Syrian civil war.