BEIRUT, August 24. /TASS/. The Syrian Foreign Ministry has assessed Turkey’s intrusion into Syrian territory as an act violating the country’s sovereignty, the news agency SANA reports.
"Damascus condemns the intrusion of Turkish tanks into Syrian territory under the cover of air support provided by the US-led international coalition," the statement says. "Syria regards such actions as outright violation of its sovereignty."
The Syrian Foreign Ministry said that resistance to terror "is not confined to driving out militants of the terrorist group calling itself Islamic State (outlawed in Russia) only to replace them with other extremist groups supported from Turkey."
Earlier on Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the Turkish army’s operation is aimed against the IS and the Democratic Union party of Syria’s Kurds.
HaberTurk TV Channel said that armored units of the Turkish army crossed into Syria and are delivering fire against objectives of the IS. The TV channel reported about 10-15 tanks that advanced towards the town of Jarabulus. Before the Turkish armor has crossed into Syria, the Turkish Air Force delivered air strikes in the border area.
Al Jazeera TV reported paramilitary forces of the Syrian opposition have crossed the Turkey-Syria border right behind Turkish army’s tanks.