MOSCOW, June 5. /TASS/. Russia has noticed an upsurge in the activity of illegal armed groups in the Idlib de-escalation zone after Turkey's statements it was beginning a military operation in Syria, the deputy head of the Russian Center for the Reconciliation of Warring Parties in Syria Rear Admiral Oleg Zhuravlev said on Sunday.

"Against a backdrop of the Turkish leadership's statements about the beginning of a new military operation in the north of Syria the Idlib de-escalation zone has seen an upsurge in the activity of illegal armed groups aimed at aggravating the situation," Zhuravlev told a news briefing.

He stressed that the ringleaders of the terrorist groups operating in the de-escalation zone were building up reserves and intensifying training and combat activity. In particular, over the past day, Russia registered 12 shelling in the Idlib de-escalation zone from positions held by Jabhat al-Nusra (a terrorist group banned in Russia). Six were in Aleppo province and as many in Idlib province.

"In Aleppo province, artillery fire by terrorists from the Maharet region against the positions of government forces in the Kafer Halab region left one Syrian soldier was wounded," Zhuravlev said.

Another Syrian soldier was wounded in Idlib province as a result of an artillery bombardment of government army positions in the Kafer Nebel area.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday that Ankara was going to conduct new operations in northern Syria to ensure security on its southern borders. He added that Ankara's efforts were aimed at countering terrorist organizations in Syria, such as the People's Protection Units. Turkey considers them as a wing of the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).