BALADI NEWS
Turkish and Russian troops have completed the 12th round of joint ground patrols in northern Syria under a deal reached last month, Anadolu Agency reports.
“Turkish and Russian units have completed their twelfth joint land patrol according to plan. A total of eight vehicles comprising of four from each side participated in the twelfth joint land patrol along with UAVs in the Qamishli-Derek sector,” Turkey’s National Defense Ministry said in a statement on Saturday.
“Turkish and Russian units patrolled an area of 69 kilometres [42.8-mile] length and 7 kilometres [4.3-mile] depth,” the statement added.
The first joint ground patrols, on Nov. 1, took place near Ras al-Ayn and Qamishli regions east of the Euphrates River.
The 11th patrol was carried out in Qamishli and Derek regions.
Turkey on Oct. 9 launched Operation Peace Spring to eliminate Kurdish fighters from northern Syria in order to secure Turkey’s borders, aid in the safe return of Syrian refugees, and ensure Syria’s territorial integrity.
Ankara wants YPG, the Syrian offshoot of PKK, to withdraw from the region so a safe zone can be created to pave the way for the safe return of some two million refugees.
On Oct. 22, Ankara and Moscow reached a deal under which YPG/PKK would pull back 30 km (18.6 mi) south of Turkey’s border with Syria, and security forces from Turkey and Russia would mount joint patrols there.
Source: MEMO.