Syrian government forces have attacked a Turkish observation point in Syria's Idlib province, Turkey's Defence Ministry said on Thursday, in what it assessed to be a deliberate attack involving 35 mortar shells.

Axar.az reports citing AlJazeera.

Three Turkish soldiers were slightly wounded in the attack, the defense ministry said in a statement, and some equipment and facilities were damaged.

"The transportation and treatment of the wounded [soldiers] is ongoing," the statement said. The ministry added that Ankara has made representations to Moscow about the incident.

Under a deal with Russia, Turkey deployed forces in Idlib at a dozen positions around the rebel-controlled northwestern province, where it has set up observation towers to prevent escalations between the Syrian government forces and rebels.

However, Syria and ally Russia ramped up deadly air raids and artillery fire in the region in late April against Hay'et Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a former al-Qaeda affiliate whose fighters dominate the area. Russia wants the group out of Idlib and disarmed, and keeps pressuring Turkey to make that happen.