SpaceWar.com - Your World At War
Russian military police conduct Syria patrol
Moscow, Oct 23 (AFP) Oct 23, 2019
Russian military police on Wednesday conducted their first patrol in northern Syria, the defence ministry in Moscow said, under a deal with Turkey which specifies the "removal" of Kurdish forces from the border area.

"Residents of Syrian settlements greeted the Russian military police," the defence ministry said in a statement, Russian news agencies reported.

Ahead of the patrol, Russian military police met with officials from the border town of Kobane.

Earlier in the day Russian military forces crossed the Euphrates River in Syria and moved into positions near the border with Turkey.

The deal, reached between Russia and Turkey on Tuesday, will see Russian military police and Syrian border guards "facilitate the removal" of Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) fighters and their weapons from within 30 kilometres (18 miles) of the border.

This withdrawal must be finalised within 150 hours, under the deal.

The Russian defence ministry published a map showing where 15 Syrian checkpoints would be set up along the border.

The Turkey-Russia agreement was reached after marathon talks between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and President Vladimir Putin in Russia on Tuesday.

It will also see Turkey preserve a "safe zone" inside Syria about 120 kilometres long (75 miles) and 32 kilometres deep. Russia and Turkey will eventually launch joint patrols along the zone.

The deal follows the decision by US President Donald Trump to pull US troops who were allied with Kurdish forces that bore the brunt of the fight against the Islamic State group in Syria.

Trump has been accused of betraying the Kurds and paving the way for the joint action against them.


ADVERTISEMENT




Space News from SpaceDaily.com
Macron says Europe must become 'space power' again
NASA raises chance for asteroid to hit moon
Tidal forces from the Sun may have shaped Mercury's tectonic features

24/7 Energy News Coverage
Tesla expected to launch long-discussed robotaxi service
Israeli army says struck ' inactive nuclear reactor' in Iran's Arak
New Zealand targets leadership in superconducting space tech with new research alliance

Military Space News, Nuclear Weapons, Missile Defense
Trump says US strikes 'obliterated' Iran nuclear sites
Israelis emerge from shelters to devastation after Iran attacks
Japan spots Chinese ships near disputed isles for record 216 straight days

24/7 News Coverage
NASA scientists find ties between Earth's oxygen and magnetic field
How did life survive 'Snowball Earth'? In ponds, study suggests
Arctic warming spurs growth of carbon-soaking peatlands



All rights reserved. Copyright Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.