Russian, Turkish troops conclude 2nd joint patrol mission in N. Syria

Russia’s military police and Turkey’s border guard service have finished the second joint patrol mission along the border with Turkey in northern Syria, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.

Patrols were conducted to the east of the Euphrates with the participation of unmanned aerial vehicles, TASS reported, citing the statement. Eight units of machinery, four from each side, took part in the mission in the Ayn al-Arab area. The length of the Turkish-Russian patrol route was 73km (45 miles).

The joint patrol mission set off from the Aylishar customs checkpoint and involved about 50 Russian and Turkish servicemen, eight armored vehicles, including Russian Tigr and Turkish armored cars, and an Orlan-10 unmanned aerial vehicle, belonging to the Russian military police, which surveyed the situation along the route.

The deadline for the Kurdish forces to withdraw from the area expired on October 29. Turkey and Russia began joint patrols in northeastern Syria on November 1.