Syria to immediately retaliate against any Turkish attack: military

DAMASCUS, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian army said in a statement late Tuesday that it would immediately and directly retaliate against any Turkish attack on Syrian military bases.

The statement came in the wake of a Turkish attack against Syrian military bases in northern Syria on Tuesday, which led to the killing of three soldiers.

The Syrian army targeted some Turkish bases, causing material and human losses, the statement said, noting Turkish forces have stepped up provocations and attacks on Syria recently as Türkiye has intensified its strikes on areas in northern and northeastern Syria as part of its campaign against Kurdish militias.

The opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights placed the death toll among Syrian soldiers from Tuesday's Turkish attack at 11.

It said Turkish strikes had intensified since midnight amid clashes with fighters of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces near the border area.

Türkiye has for quite some time been threatening to launch a military offensive in northern Syria amid attempts by Russia and Iran to defuse the tension.