Russia, Turkey finalize another patrolling mission in northeastern Syria
MOSCOW. Dec 19 (Interfax) - Another joint Russian-Turkish patrolling mission was accomplished in northeastern Syria on Thursday; the servicemen patrolled a new area of the Syrian-Turkish border, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement seen by Interfax.
"The joint patrol departed from the Deiruna-Aga checkpoint, covered a distance of over 30 kilometers within 90 minutes, and returned to the point of departure. The patrol passed through a number of Syrian populated localities in the border area," the statement said.
"The Russian and Turkish servicemen jointly patrolled an area of the Syrian-Turkish border several dozen kilometers east of Qamishli," it said.
Helicopters of the Russian Aerospace Forces' Army Aviation provided aerial patrolling.
The joint convoy comprised eight military vehicles, including Tigr armored vehicles and BTR-80 armored personnel carriers of the Russian military police and Kirpi armored vehicles of the Turkish border service, as well as about 50 servicemen of both countries.
An Orlan-10 drone of the Russian Armed Forces monitored the progress of the joint convoy in real time.
Such joint patrols are being carried out consistent with the Russian- Turkish memorandum signed in Sochi on October 22.
Russian military police are patrolling the Syrian-Turkish border together the Syrian and Turkish border services to assist in the provision of security of the civilian population, law and order, and to control the fulfillment of the memorandum provisions regarding the withdrawal of Kurdish militia and their weapons to areas 30 kilometers away from the border.