Turkish and Russian officials are reviewing deployment of their forces in the Syrian border region of Tel Rifaat, Turkey’s Vice President Fuat Oktay said on Sunday, a day after cross-border fire from the area killed one Turkish soldier, Reuters reports.
On Saturday, four Turkish soldiers were killed and two others wounded in two separate attacks by Kurdish militants from Tel Rifaat and northern Iraq, the Turkish defense ministry said, adding that the army had retaliated in both cases and killed 28 militants.
In an interview with broadcaster Kanal 7, Oktay said Turkey and Russia were discussing developments in the region and that Turkish military operations along the border would continue until all threats had been eliminated.
“The agreement was for us to stop there (Tel Rifaat), but if these attacks continue, this may take a different shape. We are discussing this with Russia,” Oktay said.
Separately, security sources said on Sunday that Turkish air strikes had killed five Kurdish militants in northern Iraq as part of an operation launched to retaliate against the cross-border attacks a day earlier.
The air strikes targeted the area across the border from the southeastern province of Hakkari, the sources said, adding that the army’s operation in the region continued.
