Syria to strike intruding Turkish warplanes in its airspace

The Syrian military has warned to intercept and bring down any Turkish fighter jets entering the country’s airspace, nearly a day after Turkish warplanes bombarded 18 positions of the People's Protection Units (YPG) in northern Syria, and killed up to 200 Kurdish fighters.

"Any attempt to once again breach Syrian airspace by Turkish war planes will be dealt with and they will be brought down by all means available," the Syrian army general command said in a statement on Thursday.

Earlier in the day, the Turkish army said its jets had conducted 26 airstrikes against YPG targets in Maarrat Umm Hawsh region north of the embattled northwestern Syrian city of Aleppo.

Turkey’s state-run Anadolu news agency reported that between 160 and 200 YPG fighters were killed in the raids on Wednesday night.

It added that Turkish military aircraft destroyed nine buildings used as YPG headquarters, meeting points, shelters and weapons depots.

Meanwhile, Syria's UN Ambassador Bashar al-Ja'afari said foreign-sponsored Takfiri terrorist groups in Aleppo are using civilians in the militant-held eastern flank of the city as human shields.

Ja'afari told a UN General Assembly session on Thursday that the extremists are resorting to snipers and mortar shells in a bid to prevent civilians and gunmen from leaving the area despite a humanitarian truce.

The Syrian diplomat further noted that the Damascus government welcomes any meeting aimed at helping the Syrian nation in a fair manner.

ME