Three Turkish soldiers killed by Russian air strike in Syria

Moscow apologized to Ankara, after Russian military planes accidentally killed three Turkish soldiers and wounded 11 others in an operation against Islamic State in Syria.

A joint Russia-Turkey investigation of the accident is under way, Reuters reported citing the Turkish defense ministry.

President Vladimir Putin had expressed his condolences to his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan in a phone call, the Kremlin said.

Russia and Turkey mediated the latest round of Syrian peace talks between representatives of president Bashar al-Assad’s government and rebel factions in January in Astana, Kazakhstan.

The two remain deeply divided over the future of Assad, with Russia wanting to keep the Syrian president in power and Turkey insisting on his resignation as a key part of a peace deal.