Funerals held for Turkish soldiers killed in Russian airstrike

Published February 10th, 2017 - 02:00 GMT
Military honour guards carry the coffin of Mahmut Uslu, one of five Turkish soldiers killed on Ferbuary 7, in an attack by IS militants around the Syrian town al-Bab, as Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim (3rdR) attends the funeral ceremony in Ankara, on February 9, 2017. (AFP/Adem Altan)
Military honour guards carry the coffin of Mahmut Uslu, one of five Turkish soldiers killed on Ferbuary 7, in an attack by IS militants around the Syrian town al-Bab, as Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim (3rdR) attends the funeral ceremony in Ankara, on February 9, 2017. (AFP/Adem Altan)

Turkey has begun the funeral ceremonies for the three soliders who were killed in an alleged “friendly fire” incident on Thursday.

The men died after their position was hit by a Russian airstrike. Russia and Turkey have agreed to combat Daesh in Syria together, and the Russians have apologized for the incident. Eleven others were wounded.

However the Russians say their planes attacked co-ordinates supplied to them by the Turkish military, and that the Turkish soldiers should not have been there. Moscow says joint actions need to be better co-ordinated.

There are reports coming in about the fighting in al-Bab, with one suggesting Turkish troops are engaged in fighting with Syrian army forces, but this has not been confirmed. The Turks appear to have accepted better communication is needed, and that the incident is an accident.

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