Turkish and Israeli officials began talks on Wednesday aimed at preventing unwanted incidents in Syria, where militaries of the two regional powers are active, Turkish ministry sources and an Israeli political source said on Thursday.

The two sides have started talks to prevent conflicts between their troops in Syria, amid a growing rivalry for influence in the region.

Israel and Turkey have launched talks to avoid inadvertent clashes inside Syria as the regional rivals expand their influence and military presence inside the war-torn Arab state. Turkey, which long-backed the Syrian opposition,