Russia, Turkey Hold Joint Patrol in Northern Syria

Turkish officers talk with Russian officers near Turkish-Syrian border. (AP)
Turkish officers talk with Russian officers near Turkish-Syrian border. (AP)
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Russia, Turkey Hold Joint Patrol in Northern Syria

Turkish officers talk with Russian officers near Turkish-Syrian border. (AP)
Turkish officers talk with Russian officers near Turkish-Syrian border. (AP)

Russian Military Police held on Tuesday a joint patrol with Turkish forces in the eastern countryside of northern Syria’s city of Ain al-Arab (Kobani).

The patrol was the 92nd between the two forces in the region since both countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 2019.

It comprised eight Russian and Turkish military vehicles and set off from Ashma village, nearly 20 km west of Kobani.

The Turkish military vehicles then returned to Turkey through the gate near Gharib village, while the Russian military vehicles returned to their position near the town of Sirrin, south of Kobani.

Separately, the Turkish Defense Ministry announced the killing of 12 members of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) that were allegedly plotting a terror attack in areas held by Turkish forces and allied Syrian factions in northern Syria.

The killed members of the YPG, the largest component of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), were neutralized after they opened fire into Turkey’s Operation Euphrates Shield zone in northern Syria, said the ministry in a statement on Tuesday.



Mikel Arteta Angered by 2 Penalty Calls in Arsenal Loss at Inter

Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta gestures during the UEFA Champions League football match between Inter Milan and Arsenal at the San Siro stadium in Milan on November 6, 2024. (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP)
Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta gestures during the UEFA Champions League football match between Inter Milan and Arsenal at the San Siro stadium in Milan on November 6, 2024. (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP)
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Mikel Arteta Angered by 2 Penalty Calls in Arsenal Loss at Inter

Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta gestures during the UEFA Champions League football match between Inter Milan and Arsenal at the San Siro stadium in Milan on November 6, 2024. (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP)
Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta gestures during the UEFA Champions League football match between Inter Milan and Arsenal at the San Siro stadium in Milan on November 6, 2024. (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP)

Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta said a 1-0 loss to Inter Milan in the Champions League on Wednesday was “very, very difficult to accept” after two penalty decisions went against his team.
The only goal of the game came just before halftime after Inter was awarded a penalty when a free kick into the area skimmed off Mehdi Taremi and onto Mikel Merino’s outstretched arm, and Hakan Çalhanoğlu converted from the spot.
Merino had a penalty appeal of his own rejected earlier in the match – after being checked by the video assistant referee – when he appeared to be punched in the head by Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer as they both went for a cross, The Associated Press reported.
“Well, I don’t understand, it’s just a deflection,” Arteta said on the penalty that was awarded against Merino. “There is no danger all, you cannot react because the ball is very close. But OK, they decide there is a penalty. But then if that’s a penalty, the one on Mikel Merino, you know, when he punches in the head, it has to be 1,000% a penalty. And these are the margins in this game and very, very difficult to accept.”
Çalhanoğlu’s penalty was the first goal conceded by Arsenal in the Champions League this season.
And Arteta felt his team should have got more from what he said was “by far the best (match) that we played in the last few years” in Europe.
Arsenal pushed hard for the equalizer but the Inter defense withstood wave after wave of attack.
“(I’m) extremely frustrated as well because there are two decisions that at the end marks the result and the course of the game,” Arteta said.