<p>Turkey said on Monday it had "neutralised" 101 Syrian regime soldiers following a bombardment which killed five Turkish soldiers in northwestern Syria's Idlib region, the last major rebel bastion.</p>.<p>The Turkish defence ministry said its troops were pushing on with bombardments on Syrian positions in the area on Monday evening.</p>.<p>Under a deal with Russia, Turkey has 12 observation posts in Idlib as a way to avert an offensive by Syrian government forces trying to retake it from rebels, but Syrian troops have been advancing despite Ankara's warnings.</p>.<p>"According to our sources, 101 regime troops were neutralised, three tanks and two cannons were destroyed and a helicopter was hit," the Turkish ministry statement said.</p>.<p>Earlier Monday, five Turkish soldiers died in Syrian regime artillery fire in Idlib.</p>.<p>The barrage also wounded five soldiers in the violence-plagued northwest, prompting the Turkish military to respond by "destroying targets", the defence ministry added.</p>.<p>The exchange was the second in eight days and took place in the area of Taftanaz, which was recently reinforced by Turkey, said the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.</p>.<p>Monday's incident comes a week after earlier regime shelling killed eight Turkish soldiers, prompting a deadly response by the Turkish army.</p>.<p>The clashes are further straining relations between Damascus and Ankara, while also increasing tension between Russia and Turkey -- the conflict's chief foreign protagonists.</p>.<p>Turkey has beefed up its Idlib positions in recent days by sending at least 350 vehicles with commandos backed by armoured vehicles.</p>.<p>But the regime supported by Moscow has intensified an assault against the last major rebel bastion, home to an estimated three million, for more than two months.</p>
<p>Turkey said on Monday it had "neutralised" 101 Syrian regime soldiers following a bombardment which killed five Turkish soldiers in northwestern Syria's Idlib region, the last major rebel bastion.</p>.<p>The Turkish defence ministry said its troops were pushing on with bombardments on Syrian positions in the area on Monday evening.</p>.<p>Under a deal with Russia, Turkey has 12 observation posts in Idlib as a way to avert an offensive by Syrian government forces trying to retake it from rebels, but Syrian troops have been advancing despite Ankara's warnings.</p>.<p>"According to our sources, 101 regime troops were neutralised, three tanks and two cannons were destroyed and a helicopter was hit," the Turkish ministry statement said.</p>.<p>Earlier Monday, five Turkish soldiers died in Syrian regime artillery fire in Idlib.</p>.<p>The barrage also wounded five soldiers in the violence-plagued northwest, prompting the Turkish military to respond by "destroying targets", the defence ministry added.</p>.<p>The exchange was the second in eight days and took place in the area of Taftanaz, which was recently reinforced by Turkey, said the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.</p>.<p>Monday's incident comes a week after earlier regime shelling killed eight Turkish soldiers, prompting a deadly response by the Turkish army.</p>.<p>The clashes are further straining relations between Damascus and Ankara, while also increasing tension between Russia and Turkey -- the conflict's chief foreign protagonists.</p>.<p>Turkey has beefed up its Idlib positions in recent days by sending at least 350 vehicles with commandos backed by armoured vehicles.</p>.<p>But the regime supported by Moscow has intensified an assault against the last major rebel bastion, home to an estimated three million, for more than two months.</p>