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Operation Spring Shield

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Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Operation Spring Shield, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 29 November 202547 sources
Operation Spring Shield
Company typeMilitary operation
IndustryMilitary
Founded2020-02-27
FounderTurkish Armed Forces
Area served
Idlib Governorate, Syria
Key people
Hulusi Akar (Turkish Defense Minister)
ProductsMilitary campaign

Operation Spring Shield

Operation Spring Shield (Turkish: Bahar Kalkanı Harekâtı) was a military campaign initiated by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) targeting the Idlib Governorate in northwestern Syria. This cross-border offensive, launched on 27 February 2020, was a direct reaction to the Balyun airstrife, intended to counteract the intensifying conflict in the area.[1][2]

According to Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, the operation's chief aim was to secure a ceasefire agreement as part of the ongoing Astana talks and to stabilize the Second Northern Syria Buffer Zone. Another critical goal was to halt the large-scale displacement of civilians from Idlib toward Turkey’s border, addressing urgent humanitarian concerns.[3]

A significant development occurred on 5 March when representatives from Turkey and Russia convened in Moscow and agreed upon a ceasefire arrangement, marking progress toward reducing hostilities in the region.[4]

Background

On 27 February 2020, amid the Dawn of Idlib 2 Operation, Turkish military positions located in Balyun within Idlib Governorate were struck by air raids reportedly executed by the Syrian and Russian Air Forces. This assault resulted in the deaths of 36 Turkish soldiers, with injuries reported to range between 36 and 60 personnel.[5][6]Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name[7]

The subsequent day, Russia refuted involvement in the airstrikes and asserted that it had attempted to prevent Syrian military fire to allow for the safe withdrawal of Turkish troops. Moscow argued that Turkish forces were not authorized to be in the area where ongoing "counter-terror operations" were taking place and criticized Turkey for not informing them beforehand about their troops' presence. Conversely, Turkey contended that Russia was fully aware of Turkish troop locations, as both nations maintained regular communication on this matter.[8]

Operation timeline

Further information: Northwestern Syria offensive (December 2019 – March 2020) § Operation Spring Shield

27–28 February

In response to the Balyun airstrike, Turkey officially commenced its military campaign named Operation Spring Shield. The operation aimed primarily to halt the Syrian government forces' progression against rebel factions in Idlib and to push them back to their original positions prior to the offensive.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name

On 28 February, the Turkish Ministry of National Defense announced that its armed forces had retaliated against the airstrikes, claiming to have "neutralized" 329 Syrian soldiers. The ministry also reported the destruction of five helicopters, 23 tanks, 10 armored vehicles, 23 artillery pieces and howitzers, as well as one SA-17 and one SA-22 air defense system belonging to Syrian government forces.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad nameCite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name

A representative from the Syrian military confirmed that their armored and technical equipment suffered extensive damage due to targeted strikes, significantly depleting their resources in northwestern Syria.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name

During these events, casualties included one Turkish soldier, eleven Syrian soldiers, and four members of Lebanese Hezbollah.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name[9]

29 February

On 29 February, Turkish air raids struck the Syrian Scientific Studies and Research Center located in As-Safira. According to a Turkish official, this facility was allegedly utilized for the production of chemical weapons.[10][11]

Throughout the day, Turkish attacks resulted in the deaths of 48 members of Syrian government forces and allied militias, including 14 Hezbollah combatants. Additionally, at least 13 military vehicles were eliminated.[12]

1 March

On 1 March, Turkish Air Force F-16 jets downed two Syrian Su-24 warplanes.[13] All four Syrian pilots successfully ejected from their aircraft. The incident was acknowledged by both Syrian and Turkish authorities.[14] Concurrently, Syrian forces shot down a Turkish TAI Anka drone.[15] Moreover, Turkish unmanned aerial vehicles bombarded the 47th brigade stationed at Hama Military Airport.[16]

During this period, Turkish drone strikes in Jabal al-Zawiya and Al-Hamidia within Idlib's countryside caused the deaths of 19 Syrian soldiers.[17]

2 March

On 2 March, a Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drone was downed by the Syrian Air Defense Force close to Saraqib.[18] Throughout the day, clashes in Jabal Al-Zawiyah, southern Idlib countryside, as well as in Saraqib and its environs, resulted in the deaths of one Turkish soldier and 26 Syrian government troops.[19][20]

3 March

On 3 March, the Syrian Army succeeded in reclaiming the strategically important city of Saraqib along with several nearby villages after repelling rebel forces who were backed by Turkish artillery and air support.[21][22] Concurrently, Turkish airstrikes targeting government positions decreased markedly as government forces advanced further toward the town of Afis.[23][24] In parallel, a Syrian Air Force Aero L-39 Albatros was brought down by a Turkish F-16 over Idlib; reports about the pilot's status varied.[25][26] Additionally, Syrian Army forces shot down a Turkish Bayraktar drone in western Aleppo countryside.[27][28]

During this period, five Turkish soldiers lost their lives due to Syrian bombardments at Taftanaz Airbase, Al-Tarnaba, and Al-Mastouma camp.[29][30]

4 March 2020

On 4 March, Turkish sources reported that Suheil al-Hassan sustained injuries from a drone strike near Saraqib.[31] In the Idlib Governorate, Syrian forces shot down a Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drone.[32][33]

Throughout that day, Turkish ground artillery and drone strikes resulted in the deaths of 19 Syrian soldiers and seven foreign combatants in the Idlib countryside.[34]

Ceasefire

On 5 March 2020, Presidents Erdoğan of Turkey and Putin of Russia convened in Moscow for critical discussions.[35] Following their private meeting, both leaders announced that a ceasefire would commence at midnight on 6 March in the Idlib region. The agreement included establishing a secured zone extending six kilometers on either side of the M4 highway, with joint patrols by Russian and Turkish forces starting from 15 March.[36]

Syrian Government losses

On February 29, Reuters disclosed that an airstrike by the Turkish Air Force resulted in nine fatalities and thirty injuries among Hezbollah fighters.[37] Between March 4 and 5, Operation Spring Shield reportedly destroyed four tanks, five artillery or multiple launch rocket systems, three anti-tank vehicles, and caused the deaths of 184 Syrian soldiers. Turkey asserted that from February 27 to March 5, approximately 3,322 Syrian troops were neutralized.[38]

The Middle East Institute documented that between February 27 and March 6, a total of 405 Syrian government soldiers perished, including thirty senior officers. Their analysis also highlighted losses of seventy-three tanks and armored vehicles along with numerous anti-aircraft weapons and artillery. Furthermore, they estimated over six hundred fatalities among regime forces from March through May but did not specify wounded numbers.[39] The New Lines Institute cited U.S. government-adjacent sources reporting significant equipment losses for the Syrian Army due to Turkish military actions: three warplanes, three unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), eight helicopters, one hundred thirty-five tanks, eighty-six artillery pieces and multiple rocket launchers (MLRS), seventy-seven armored vehicles, nine ammunition depots, five air defense systems, plus sixteen anti-tank and mortar positions destroyed. They also estimated an average daily death toll of sixty regime soldiers between February 27 and March 5.[40]

Research conducted by the OSINT group Oryx Blog identified destruction of various military assets during the Turkish Armed Forces' offensive: thirty-seven tanks including T-55, T-62, and T-72 models; nine BMP-1 armored combat vehicles; sixteen 2S1 Gvozdika howitzers; one D-30 (122 mm howitzer); three M-46 (130 mm field guns); one D-1 (152 mm howitzer); six 2S3 Akatsiya howitzers; eight BM-21 Grad MLRS units; one HM-20 (122 mm) MLRS; two additional MLRS units with calibers of 122 mm; two M160 mortars (160 mm); one M240 mortar (240 mm); four ZSU-23-4 armored anti-aircraft vehicles; two ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft guns; one S-75 Dvina surface-to-air missile system; two Pantsir-S1 air defense systems; one SNR-125 radar for air defense; two Sukhoi Su-24 fighter jets; one Aero L-39 Albatros jet; as well as twenty-one assorted trucks.[41]

Numerous think tanks including the Institute for the Study of War and Rand Corporation have asserted that Turkey’s military campaign transformed contemporary warfare strategies and shifted Syria’s power dynamics significantly.[42][43] Utilizing advanced electronic warfare tools such as the Koral alongside armed UAV platforms like TB2 and Anka, Turkish forces effectively disabled Assad regime’s air defense networks.[44][45] This operation effectively halted Syrian government ambitions to retake full control over Idlib.[46] Consequently, regime forces lost their capacity to conduct effective offensives following counterattacks by Turkish Armed Forces.[47]

Aftermath

Following the ceasefire agreement signed in March 2020, the Syrian Air Force has refrained from launching any airstrikes within the designated de-escalation zone. This situation has persisted unchanged through April 2023.

Francis Fukuyama highlighted Turkey's transformative impact on drone warfare, emphasizing how the country has revolutionized military drone applications and significantly influenced contemporary combat strategies.

See also

Notes

References

  1. ↑ Zaman, Amberin (2020-03-01). "Turkey launches Operation Spring Shield against Syrian forces". Al-Monitor.
  2. ↑ Truzman, Joe (2020-03-05). "Turkey's Operation "Spring Shield" delivers blow to Hezbollah". Longwarjournal.org.
  3. ↑ "Rusya'dan İdlib açıklaması: Ateşkes düzenlemesine genel olarak uyuluyor" (in Türkçe). Ankara: Milliyet. 2020-03-12.
  4. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named bbc
  5. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named MEEBalyun
  6. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named sozcu
  7. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named deciphering
  8. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Ministry 2020
  9. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named ReferenceA
  10. ↑ "45 قتيلا من قوات النظام بقصف طائرات مسيرة وحربية وقصف مدفعي تركي.. وصواريخ أرض-أرض تستهدف ريف حلب". SOHR. 29 February 2020. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  11. ↑ "Syrian chemical warfare facility destroyed in overnight Turkish strike: report". I24. 29 February 2020. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  12. ↑ "Turkish air and ground bombardment kills nearly 50 regime soldiers in Idlib and Aleppo and destroys 13 military vehicles in 24 hours • the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights". 29 February 2020.
  13. ↑ "بعد إسقاطها لمروحيتين الشهر الفائت.. القوات التركية تسقط طائرتين حربيتين تابعة للنظام السوري في أجواء محافظة إدلب". SOHR. March 2020. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  14. ↑ "Syrian troops retake key northwestern town from rebel forces". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2 March 2020.
  15. ↑ "Assad regime downs Turkish drone in Syria after announcing airspace closure". Daily Sabah. March 1, 2020.
  16. ↑ "طائرات مسيرة تركية تقصف "اللواء "47.. والمضادات الأرضية في مطار حماة العسكري تتصدى". SOHR. 1 March 2020. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  17. ↑ "Turkish drones kill 19 regime soldiers, the death toll of regime forces and loyalists rises to 93 in less than 72 hours". Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. 1 March 2020.
  18. ↑ "Wreckage of Turkish combat drone uncovered In southeast Idlib (pics)". March 19, 2020. Archived from the original on March 2, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  19. ↑ "137 persons killed across Syria yesterday, including 40 regime soldiers and loyalists". Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. March 3, 2020.
  20. ↑ "Regime artillery fire leaves Turkish soldiers dead or wounded in rural Idlib". Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. 2 March 2020.
  21. ↑ "Syria army retakes Saraqib city in Idlib from opposition". Middle East Monitor. 4 March 2020.
  22. ↑ Turkey's Erdogan hopes to broker Syria truce in Moscow
  23. ↑ "115 regime soldiers, rebels and jihadists killed in 24 hours, while regime forces recapture Saraqeb and surrounding villages". SOHR. 3 March 2020.
  24. ↑ "Syrian Army attempts to advance in eastern Idlib after seizing Saraqib city". AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز. 2020-03-03. Archived from the original on 2020-11-30. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
  25. ↑ "بعد إسقاط تركيا لطائرته.. الفصائل تعثر على جثة الطيار في منطقة جبل الزاوية". SOHR (in العربية). 3 March 2020.
  26. ↑ "Syrian Army went behind enemy lines to save pilot in Idlib". AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز. 2020-03-03. Archived from the original on 2020-03-03. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
  27. ↑ "Two Turkish Air Force Drone Reportedly Shot Down By Syrian Air Defense Over Idlib". 3 March 2020.
  28. ↑ "Syrian Army takes down Turkish drone in Idlib". TASS. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
  29. ↑ "Turkish forces resume bombarding regime positions, while regime forces attempt to advance further northwest of Saraqeb". Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. 4 March 2020.
  30. ↑ Dead and wounded in the ranks of the Turkish forces with artillery shelling of the regime forces in Idlib countryside (In Arabic), SOHR
  31. ↑ "Esad'ın katliamcı generali Süheyl Hasan, SİHA ile vuruldu". A Haber. 5 March 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  32. ↑ "Images of one of the Turkish drones shot down by Syrian Arab Army units in Idleb". Syrian Arab News Agency. 4 March 2020. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  33. ↑ "Syrian Army shoots down Turkish drone in Idlib, 10th in 3 days: photo". Al-Masdar News. 4 March 2020. Archived from the original on 13 November 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  34. ↑ "82 were killed yesterday including 46 of the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them, and 36 others". Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. 5 March 2020.
  35. ↑ Marcus, Jonathan (2020-03-05). "How Russia's Putin became the go-to man on Syria". BBC News. Retrieved 2020-03-05.
  36. ↑ "Joint Turkish-Russian patrols to begin on March 15 – latest updates". TRT World. 2020-03-07. Retrieved 2020-03-12.
  37. ↑ Template:Web source
  38. ↑ Template:Web source
  39. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Middle East Institute June 18, 2020
  40. ↑ Template:Web source
  41. ↑ Template:Web source
  42. ↑ Cafarella, Jennifer; Dunford, John; Land, Michael; Wallace, Blane (2020-03-18). "Turkey Commits to Idlib". Institute for the Study of War. Archived from the original on 14 January 2025. Retrieved 2024-12-25. Turkey's intervention in Idlib Province changed the military balance in northwest Syria... Turkey has compelled Russia to enter a new de-escalation agreement, but that agreement is unlikely to hold... Russia opted to de-escalate in Idlib in September 2018 after attempting but failing to compel Turkish-backed opposition groups to surrender...Turkey's response indirectly but significantly weakened Russia's military position in Idlib. The casualties and equipment losses badly depleted the ability of pro-regime forces to launch further offensives...Turkey's targeting of regime aircraft and airbases also forced Russia to face even greater material and manpower costs to sustain an air campaign, either by expanding its own air campaign or offsetting the regime's losses. Finally, Turkey's targeting of the regime's air force also delivered a significant morale victory for the Syrian opposition and the displaced Syrian populations who have suffered years of unmitigated aerial bombardment.
  43. ↑ Parachini, John V.; Wilson, Peter A. (2 July 2020). "Drone-Era Warfare Shows the Operational Limits of Air Defense Systems". RAND Corporation. Archived from the original on 10 December 2023. Many of the tactics, techniques, and procedures used to defeat SHORADS in Libya were tested during the Turkish military's brief 2020 winter campaign in Idlib Province during which Turkey destroyed Pantsir SHORAD and Buk-M1 medium-range SAM systems operated by the Assad Regime.
  44. ↑ Tanchum, Michaël (2020-03-25). "Turkey's In-between State of War and Peace with Russia". The Turkey Analyst. Retrieved 2024-12-25. Employing its domestically-produced KORAL land-based transportable electronic warfare system that can create ghost images on enemy radar, Turkey was able to inflict an impressive amount of damage to Syrian as well as Russian military assets using its Bayraktar TB2 and Anka combat drones...Turkey's overriding interest to entrench its influence northern Syria compel Ankara to yield to Moscow and seek a new equilibrium somewhere between war and peace in Idlib.
  45. ↑ Kasapoglu, Can (17 April 2020). "Turkey's Drone Blitz Over Idlib". Jamestown Foundation. Archived from the original on 7 March 2025. Retrieved 14 March 2025. While the Turkish Armed Forces scored a large number of kills on the Baathist regime's combat units, the unmanned systems' success in eliminating Syria's Russian-manufactured surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems deserve the utmost attention. Within a week, Turkey's UAVs destroyed a total of eight Pantsir and Buk air defenses
  46. ↑ "An uncertain future for Idlib as Assad is welcomed back to the international stage". The New Arab. 2023-06-05. Retrieved 2024-12-25. The Syrian regime has expressed its desire to reclaim the (Idlib) province, but ever since a March 2020 offensive ended in a disastrous defeat at the hands of Turkey, the territory has not changed hands
  47. ↑ "Turkey shoots down two Syrian warplanes, destroys armor, kills troops as conflict escalates". The Washington Post. 2020-03-01. Retrieved 2024-12-25. Turkey shot down two warplanes and inflicted heavy losses on ground forces in northwestern Syria on Sunday as the two countries edged closer to an all-out war...The situation on the ground was fluid, and the progress of the Turkish-backed offensive was difficult to assess. But it appeared the Turkish intervention had succeeded in halting, and in some places reversing, weeks of Syrian government advances into the last enclave of rebel-held territory that have sent nearly a million people fleeing toward Turkey for safety.

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