Turkish artillery shells Syrian territory (video)

The Russian Defense Ministry has presented video evidence it says shows Turkish military shelling Syrian territory using heavy artillery positioned close to the border.

Syria’s General Staff has provided its Russian counterparts with video footage of deployment of self-propelled large caliber artillery vehicles at a Turkish frontier post, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov said at media briefing on Monday, reports Russia Today.

Syrian opposition groups have also provided video evidence of the Turkish military shelling Syrian territory, he added.

“This is what we call a fact. This is irrefutable proof that Turkish armed forces shell borderline Syrian settlements with large-caliber artillery systems,” Konashenkov stressed.

“We expect an immediate reaction and explanations of the actions of Turkish military by NATO and the Pentagon,” Konashenkov said, recalling the US’s notably short response time to Ankara’s allegations that a Russian warplane violated Turkish airspace.

Non-stop bombing of terrorist positions in Syria continues, with Russian warplanes making 468 sorties in a week, hitting over 1,300 targets, Konashenkov said.

Russian airstrikes hit terrorist infrastructure in the provinces of Aleppo, Damascus, Daraa, Deiz ez-Zor, Hama, Homs and Latakia.

Most of the airstrikes carried out by Tu22M3 bombers took place around the city of Deiz ez-Zor, which is besieged by jihadist forces.

“An attempt to storm the city has been disrupted,” Konashenkov said, specifying that Russian Air Force used both Russia-based strategic long-rage bombers and assault Su-25 aircraft based at Khmeimim airfield in Syria to deliver 23 massive airstrikes against terrorist forces advancing on Deir ez-Zor.

The Syrian Air Force used Russian parachute landing systems to deliver more than 200 tons of humanitarian aid and medical supplies to residents of Deir ez-Zor.

Last week four advanced technology supermaneuverable Sukhoi Su-35S fighter jets assembled in 2015 were deployed to Khmeimim in Latakia and began performing missions along other Russian warplanes operating in Syria, Konashenkov confirmed.