Russia and Turkey have conducted another successful joint patrol in the province of Al-Hasakah near the town of Qamishli in northeastern Syria, the head of the Russian patrol convoy Andrei Chipizubov told reporters. Regular patrols of this territory first began in November 2019, everything is going smoothly.
"We are coping successfully with this task, because, once again, thorough training is going on. So everything is going smoothly. <...> The population in some settlements is very friendly to the presence of the Russian flag on their territory," Chipizubov said.
On the Russian side, the convoy consisted of two Tiger armored cars, one Typhoon and an APC-80. On the Turkish side, four Kirpi-2 armored vehicles participated in the patrol. Russian Ka-52 and Mi-8 helicopters escorted the convoy by air. The starting point was the village of Sheyrek.
The current patrol was the 210th.
About the situation in Syria
The international coalition against IS (a terrorist organization banned in the Russian Federation) was formed in 2014, when ISIS controlled a quarter of Syria and a third of Iraq. Currently, the US is supporting the Kurdish Democratic Syrian Forces, which control most of Syria's Al-Hasakah, Deir ez-Zor, and Raqqa provinces in the east and northeast of the country. Since 2015, US commanders have established nine military bases in that area.
In September 2015, amid the activation of IS, Russia launched a military operation against the militants in Syria at the request of President Bashar al-Assad. A de-escalation zone was established in northwest Syria in 2017. A cease-fire has been in effect there since March 6, 2020, following agreements reached between Russia and Turkey, but terrorists regularly violate the truce.
Turkey has conducted three military operations in northern Syria since 2017. A security buffer zone was established between the cities of Aazaz and Jerablus north of Aleppo, Afrin was occupied, and border areas east of the Euphrates River were taken under control. Russia and Turkey agreed on joint actions to resolve the situation in northeastern Syria. Russian military police and the Syrian military were introduced into the areas bordering the zone of the Turkish operation, the Kurdish formations were given 150 hours to liberate a 30-kilometer zone from the border with Turkey. The withdrawal of Kurdish units in accordance with the Sochi agreements was carried out and Turkey and Russia began joint patrols.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: RF Ministry of Defense / TASS
Based on materials from TASS