MOSCOW – Russia has deployed military helicopters to assist and protect itsmilitary police patrolling along Syria’s border with Turkey.
Russia’s Interfax news agency reported the deployment on Friday, citing amilitary pilot as saying that flights would be conducted on a daily basisin an altitude of 50-60 meters along several patrol routes, Press TV hasreported.
Turkish and Russian troops have been engaged in joint patrols innortheastern Syria in a bid to verify the withdrawal of Kurdish militantsfrom an area bordering Turkey.
Last month, an agreement was reached between Moscow and Ankara in Sochi onthe parameters of a “safe zone,” an area void of Kurdish forces whichAnkara regards as terrorists, to be drawn 30 kilometers deep into Syriafrom the Turkish border.
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The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) were consequently given 150hours to pull out troops from the region. The Kurds announced theircomplete withdrawal from the border area on Sunday.
Turkey has in response halted its military operation, which it launchedinto northern Syrian against US-aligned Kurdish forces on October 9.Sporadic clashes have been reported in the front line since.
Ankara launched the long-planned operation after Washington effectivelygranted the military operation a green light by calling for the withdrawalof US troops from northeastern Syria.
The SDF forces ultimately turned to Damascus for protection and Syriantroops began deploying in northeastern Syria to halt further Turkishadvances.
Numerous assaults on Syrian troops by Turkish forces have been reportedthus far.