Turkey sent 80 military vehicles including tanks to its southern border with Syria, the state-run Anadolu news agency said on Sunday.

Citing an unnamed military source, Anadolu said the deployment was part of reinforcements for troops stationed along the border. The vehicles were sent to the southeastern province of Hatay, Anadolu said.

Late on Saturday, Anadolu also reported that the army had dispatched first aid trucks and military vehicles to the same location, along with heavy equipment.

A third convoy of armored vehicles was heading to Hatay’s Reyhanli district, where Turkey’s Cilvegozu border gate with Syria is located, Anadolu said.

On Friday, Turkey’s foreign ministry said Russia, Iran and Turkey had agreed to deploy observers around a de-escalation zone in northern Syria’s Idlib region, which is controlled by terrorist militants linked to al Qaeda affiliate.

Last month, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Turkey was taking necessary measures along its 150 km (90 mile) border with Idlib.

Source: Reuters