On 27 February 2020, during the peak of Operation Dawn of Idlib 2, the Syrian Air Force and allegedly the Russian Air force conducted airstrikes against Turkish Army positions in Balyun, Idlib Governorate. The strikes resulted in the deaths of 33 or 34 Turkish soldiers, and the number of wounded reported ranged from 36 to 60. The following day, Russia denied it had carried out airstrikes in the area and stated it made attempts to ensure the Syrian military ceased firing to allow the evacuation of the Turkish troops, and claimed the Turkish forces should not have been in the area, where "counter-terror operations" were taking place, and that Turkey had failed to notify it about the soldiers' presence in advance. Turkey claimed that Russia was aware of Turkish troop locations, the two countries having regularly liaised about this.
Operation timeline
27-28 February 2020
After the air attack in Balyun, Turkey formalized its military intervention and announced the beginning of Operation Spring Shield, aimed at halting the advance of the Syrian government forces on Syrian rebels in Idlib and drive them back to pre-offensive frontlines. On 28 February, the Turkish Ministry of National Defense claimed that the Turkish armed forces had responded to the airstrikes and "neutralized" 329 Syrian government troops and destroyed five helicopters, 23 tanks, 10 armored vehicles 23 artillery and howitzers, five ammunition trucks, one SA-17 and one SA-22 air defense systems, three ammunition depots, two inventory depots and one headquarter building belonging to the Syrian government, which could not be corroborated. A Syrian military official acknowledged their armored and technical vehicles were heavily targeted and that their northwestern Syria arsenal suffered significant destruction. Overnight retaliatory Syrian government attacks killed a Turkish soldier and injured six more.
1 March 2020
Two Russian-made Su-24 jets of the Syrian airforce that attacked and shot down a TAI Anka drone were in turn shot down by Turkish Air Force F-16s. All four Syrian pilots safely ejected.Syrian and Turkish forces confirmed the downing.
On 3 March, Syrian forces launched artillery strikes on Turkish forces located at Taftanaz airport, killing one Turkish soldier and leaving three wounded. A Turkish fighter jet downed a Syrian Aero L-39 Albatros over Idlib; the pilot of the aircraft managed to eject. Rebel forces stated that they had found the pilot's dead body, In turn, a Bayraktar TB1 drone was shot down by the Syrian Arab Army in Kifer Dael in western countryside of the Aleppo. On the ground, the Syrian Army secured Saraqib and captured several surrounding villages after pushing back rebel forces supported by Turkish artillery and air power. The previous day's clashes led to the deaths of 75 rebel and 40 pro-government fighters, according to SOHR and Al-Masdar, while Turkish airstrikes on government targets had reduced significantly amidst a further government advance toward the town of Afis. Syrian fire left four Turkish soldiers killed and seven wounded in Al-Tarnaba and Al-Mastouma camp.
4 March 2020
Turkish sources claimed that Suheil al-Hassan was targeted and wounded by drone strikes near Saraqib. A Turkish UAV Bayraktar TB1 was shot down by Syrian Arab Army air defenses in the evening in the Idlib Governorate.
5 March 2020
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that during the SAA offencive in Idlib 1,449 Syrian soldiers and 1,469 Syrian rebels were killed, in the same period 73 Turkish soldiers were killed as well. Of the Pro-government forces killed; 170 Soldiers and 27 other allied foreign fighters were killed by Turkish drone and artillery attacks during Operation Spring Shield.
Ceasefire
On 5 March 2020, the presidents of Turkey and Russia, Erdoğan and Putin, met in Moscow for high-level talks. According to the statements made by the Turkish and Russian leaders following their one-on-one meeting, a ceasefire in the area of Idlib was to come into force from 00:00 hrs on 6 March. The terms of the ceasefire included a secure corridor 6 kilometers either side of the M4 highway, to be patrolled jointly by Russia and Turkey beginning on 15 March.
