The drone strikes also destroyed two howitzers and two multiple rocket launchers belonging to the Syrian military and were carried out around 4 p.m. local time on Thursday, the ministry said in a statement on Twitter.

The strikes followed the deaths of two Turkish soldiers on Wednesday and Thursday in the northwestern Syrian province.

The strikes took place prior to an announcement by Turkey and Russia late on Thursday that they had reached a ceasefire agreement in northwest Syria to begin at midnight on Thursday.

Reporter’s code: 50101