Britain’s defense secretary stressed the “game-changing” role of Turkish drones in modern warfare in the Middle East and North Africa amid escalatory tension and an exchange of fire between Turkish forces and the Syrian regime army in east Idlib.
During a virtual gathering of the Air and Space Power Conference, Ben Wallace spoke about Turkey’s counter terrorism operations in northern Syria, underlining the success of lightly armed drones used there.
“Consider Turkey’s involvement in Syria and its use of electronic warfare, lightly armed drones, and smart ammunition to stop tanks, armored cars, and air defense systems in their tracks,” he said.
Wallace revealed that according to reports, the Assad regime suffered heavy losses. “3,000 soldiers, 151 tanks, eight helicopters, three drones, three fighter jets vehicles and trucks, eight aerial defense systems and one headquarters among other military equipment and facilities.”
Meanwhile, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) released on bail a British aid worker it arrested last month in Syria's opposition-held Idlib province.
Tauqir Sharif, 33, originally from London, was detained by HTS security forces on June 22 near the camp of Atmeh, on the Turkish border.
In a statement, the HTS said Sharif had appeared before the "public prosecution in the military court" and had been released on bail pending trial in 15 days.
HTS's media relations manager Taqi al-Deen Omar said the group presented evidence it used to issue an arrest warrant against Sharif to the judiciary.
“He was then referred to a military court for further investigation,” he said.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Sharif was held over his alleged ties with rival extremists.
Meanwhile, Turkish forces shelled on Thursday Syrian regime positions in the village of Miznaz, west of Aleppo, responding to repeated violations in the “Putin-Erdogan” de-escalation area, as regime forces shelled the town of Maarat al-Naasan.
On the other hand, regime forces targeted the frontlines of the town of Kansafra and the village of Al-Fatira in Idlib’s countryside.
The Observatory quoted sources as saying that militant groups operating under the banner of “Al-Fateh Al-Mubin” operations room fired several rockets on regime positions in Maarat al-Numan, Hantotin and Khan al-Sabil in the southern countryside of Idlib.
