Russian warplane accidentally kills three Turkish soldiers in Syria's al-Bab: Turkish military

A Russian warplane accidentally hit a building housing Turkish Armed Forces units during air operations against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) targets in Syria's al-Bab on Feb. 9, killing three soldiers and wounding another 11, the Turkish Armed Forces has announced.

The military said the incident occurred at around 8:40 a.m. in the region where the Euphrates Shield Operation has been continuing.

The wounded soldiers were immediately taken to hospitals, the military said.

It also stated that Russian officials called the incident an accident, as they expressed their sadness and condolences.

The military also said an investigation into the incident had been begun by both sides.

According to the military, the Russian president also called President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan after the incident and extended his condolences.

Russian Chief of General Staff Valeriy Gerasimov also called his Turkish counterpart, Gen. Hulusi Akar, regarding the incident to extend his condolences.

Before the phone talk between the two leaders, Turkish Foreign Minister Melvüt Çavuşoğlu talked with Sergei Lavrov, his Russian counterpart.

The downing of a Russian fighter jet on Nov. 24, 2015, near the Syrian border sparked an unprecedented diplomatic crisis between Ankara and Moscow, which came to an end in June 2016 when the two countries agreed to restore ties.

Turkey and Russia broke the ice after Erdoğan sent a letter to his Russian counterpart in late June 2016 to express his deep sorrow over the downing of the jet and his wishes to normalize bilateral relations.

With the normalization of ties, Moscow removed some sanctions on trade and restrictions on Russian tourists, though it will...