Syrian government forces killed five Turkish soldiers in northwestern Syria on Monday, Turkey's defense ministry said, after Turkey deployed thousands of troops there to stem a Syrian government offensive.
The attack, on a newly established Turkish military base in Taftanaz in Idlib province, happened a week after eight Turkish military personnel were killed by a Syrian army bombardment.
The two incidents were among the most serious confrontations between Turkish and Syrian troops in the nearly nine-year-long conflict in Syria, and Turkey has said it will drive back Syrian forces if they do not pull back by the end of this month.