Türkiye supports firefighting operations in Syria’s Latakia

By Betul Yilmaz

ISTANBUL (AA) – Syrian authorities said Saturday that they have agreed to coordinate with Türkiye to launch joint firefighting operations in the countryside of Latakia, in the northwest of the country.

In a post on his X account, Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management Raed Al-Saleh said that he had met with officials from the Turkish Foreign Ministry near the Yayladag Border Crossing to coordinate a joint intervention and response to forest fires in the Latakia countryside.

The minister said that two firefighting helicopters and 11 vehicles, including eight fire engines, were sent by the Turkish side to support extinguishing efforts.

He said that the coordination between the two bordering countries was carried out to “ensure readiness, exchange field information, and enhance rapid response to protect our people in the mountainous border areas.”

According to Syria’s state news agency SANA, firefighting and civil defense teams are currently carrying out operations in Latakia to prevent the spread of flames in larger areas.