Turkish soldiers have rescued dozens of troops
guarding an ancient tomb in Syria who have been surrounded by Islamic
State forces for eight months.
Almost 600 troops backed by dozens of tanks and armoured
personnel carriers crossed the border overnight, Turkey's Prime Minister
Ahmet Davutoglu said Sunday.They were supported by drones and airplanes flying reconnaissance missions overhead.
As well as successfully evacuating the 38 soldiers, Turkish forces also relocated the tomb, moving it just metres from the Turkish border.
The military said no clashes took place during the operation but, without elaborating, said one Turkish solider was killed in an accident.
The mission, dubbed Operation Shah Euphrates, marked the first Turkish incursion since Syria's civil war started almost four years ago.
Syria's foreign ministry has condemned the operation as an act of "flagrant aggression".
Although Ankara informed the Syrian Consulate in Istanbul ahead of the operation, it did not wait for approval from Damascus, the ministry said.
"As usual (Turkey) did not wait for Syria's consent," the statement said.
Turkey considered the site of the tomb, some 35km (22 miles) from the Turkish border, as sovereign territory under a treaty signed in 1921, however Syria said the incursion violated the agreement.
According to Mr Davutoglu the Turkish forces were split into two groups during the operation.
One was responsible evacuating the troops and seizing the tomb of Suleyman Shah, revered grandfather of the Ottoman empire's founder, Osman I.
The other seized an area some 200m from the Turkish border where the crypt was moved.
Turkish media showed images of soldiers later raising the Turkish flag at the new site.
Mr Davutoglu said the troops destroyed buildings at the original location to prevent their use after the remains were removed, adding they would be returned to their original location once conditions allowed.
Turkey has been criticised in the past for not actively taking part in the fight against Islamic State, despite sharing a 1,200km border with Syria.
The border is a common transit route for Western jihadists seeking to join IS.
It is feared three missing teenage girls from London will become the latest to enter Syria via Turkey, after boarding a flight to Istanbul on Tuesday.
Turkey has so far refused to take part in US-led airstrikes against IS, with Turkey insisting the coalition needs to also target the Syrian regime.