BALADI NEWS
Turkish and Russian troops have completed the sixth round of joint ground patrols in northern Syria under a deal reached last month, in an area of a Turkish anti-terror operation, Turkey’s National Defense Ministry said on Thursday.
The patrols were carried out in the Darbasiyah region east of the Euphrates River.
"In the Darbasiyah region east of the Euphrates, the sixth joint land patrol between Turkish and Russian units have been completed with four vehicles each and accompanying UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicle]," the ministry said on Twitter.
Turkey on Oct. 9 launched Operation Peace Spring to eliminate YPG/PKK from northern Syria in order to secure Turkey’s borders.
Ankara wants YPG/PKK to withdraw from the region so that a safe zone can be created to pave the way for the safe return of some 2 million refugees.
On Oct. 22, Ankara and Moscow reached a deal under which YPG/PKK will pull back 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) south of Turkey’s border with Syria, and security forces from Turkey and Russia will mount joint patrols there.
The first joint ground patrols, on Nov. 1, took place 40 kilometers (25 miles) east of Ras al-Ain and 30 km (18.6 mi) west of the city of Qamishli.
On Tuesday, the fifth patrols were carried out in the town of Ayn al-Arab, also known as Kobani, east of the Euphrates River.
Source: Anadolu Agency.