Pakistan expresses concern over killing of Turkish soldiers in Syria

Our thoughts and prayers are with bereaved families and Turkish nation, says FO spokesperson

Pakistan has expressed concern over the killing of at least 33 Turkish soldiers in Syria’s Idlib province in an air strike carried out by forces of Bashar al-Assad regime on late Thursday.

Dozens more soldiers were injured and taken to Turkey for treatment, Rahmi Dogan, governor of Turkish Hatay – bordering Syria – said.

“[Pakistan] conveys heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the leadership and people of Turkey over the loss of lives of a number of Turkish soldiers in an attack yesterday [Thursday],” Foreign Office spokesperson Aisha Farooqui said in a statement on Friday.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families and the brotherly Turkish nation,” the communique added.

Moreover, Russia's defence ministry said that the Turkish troops "were in the battle formations of terrorist groups" and had not communicated their presence in the area "where they should not have been".

Turkey rejected Russia's claim that 33 Turkish troops killed by Syrian regime fire in the province of Idlib were among groups of "terrorists".



"I want to state that during this attack, there were no armed groups around our military units," Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said in televised remarks.

Pakistan urged the international community “to play its role towards finding a political solution to the Syrian conflict, as well as addressing the prevailing humanitarian crisis”.

The FO statement also cautioned that the recent developments are not only a grave threat to regional peace and security but will also exacerbate the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the region.

“Pakistan acknowledges and expresses support for Turkey’s legitimate security and humanitarian concerns in the region, and calls on all regional and international actors to help effectively address and resolve the situation,” the stated said.