Algeria, Russia Kick Off Military Exercises Near Border with Morocco  

Former Algerian-Russian maneuvers in the Mediterranean. (Ministry of Defense)
Former Algerian-Russian maneuvers in the Mediterranean. (Ministry of Defense)
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Algeria, Russia Kick Off Military Exercises Near Border with Morocco  

Former Algerian-Russian maneuvers in the Mediterranean. (Ministry of Defense)
Former Algerian-Russian maneuvers in the Mediterranean. (Ministry of Defense)

Joint military exercises between the Algerian and Russian armed forces kicked off in Algeria on Wednesday and will continue until Nov. 28. 

The joint anti-terrorist drills dubbed Desert Shield 2022 were launched at the Hammaguir testing ground in Bechar Province near the border with Morocco.

They involve about 200 soldiers from both countries’ counterterrorism forces.  

According to observers, the drills are considered the largest since Algiers and Moscow established military cooperation during the Soviet Union. 

During the exercise, the forces are scheduled to practice search, detection and elimination of terrorist groups in the desert setting. 

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova had previously asserted that the drills are not directed against third parties and were planned beforehand, in implicit reference to Morocco and its tense relations with its eastern neighbor, with which ties have been severed since the summer of 2021. 

The media office of the “Russian Southern Military District” had earlier stated that the maneuvers “are tactical and aimed at searching for, detecting and destroying illegal armed groups,” noting that they are the first on Algerian soil between the armies of the two countries. 

The first joint Russian-Algerian tactical drills, held in Russia’s North Ossetia region in October 2021, involved about 200 Russian and Algerian troops, as well special equipment. 

The Desert Shields exercises confirm the depth of the strategic partnership between Moscow and Algeria, Algerian Parliamentary Vice Speaker Bouteldja Allel told Sputnik on Wednesday. 

He stated that the annually held military exercises are a great chance for both countries to adopt the latest methods of each other’s work. 

“Algeria acquires Russian weapons on a regular basis and in large quantities,” he affirmed, adding that relations between the two countries have been and will continue to be strategic for many decades.  

“The drills are also an extremely important part of the strategic cooperation between the two countries.” 

He underlined the very high level of mutual communications at the level of the presidents of both countries, namely Vladimir Putin and Abdelmadjid Tebboune. 

The Algerian army has a human force of approximately 465,000 soldiers, Sputnik revealed.

Algeria is becoming the world's largest importer of Russian arms. According to the Algerian press, a huge contract valued at over $11 billion is being prepared.

Sputnik described Algeria as a “strategic ally” and “friend partner” to Russia.



Syria’s Reconciliation Committee Prioritizes Stability after Anger Over Prisoner Releases

Member of the High Committee for National Reconciliation Hassan Soufan and the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Facebook)
Member of the High Committee for National Reconciliation Hassan Soufan and the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Facebook)
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Syria’s Reconciliation Committee Prioritizes Stability after Anger Over Prisoner Releases

Member of the High Committee for National Reconciliation Hassan Soufan and the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Facebook)
Member of the High Committee for National Reconciliation Hassan Soufan and the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Facebook)

Syria’s High Committee for National Reconciliation has defended recent controversial prisoner releases, saying the decision aims to preserve national stability amid ongoing tensions.

Committee member Hassan Soufan confirmed that several officers recently freed had voluntarily surrendered in 2021 at the Iraqi border and in the Al-Sukhna region, under a formal request for safe conduct.

Speaking at a press conference in Damascus on Tuesday, Soufan addressed public backlash following the releases and acknowledged the deep pain felt by victims’ families.

“We fully understand the anger and grief of the families of martyrs,” he said. “But the current phase requires decisions that can help secure relative stability for the coming period.”

The controversy erupted after the Ministry of Interior announced on Sunday the release of dozens of detainees in Latakia, many of whom were arrested during the “Deterrence of Aggression” operation, which contributed to the fall of the Assad regime.

Among those involved in the mediation effort was Fadi Saqr, a former commander in the regime’s National Defense Forces, who has been accused of war crimes, including involvement in the Tadamon massacre in southern Damascus.

Soufan explained that the released officers had undergone investigation and were found not to have participated in war crimes. “Keeping them imprisoned no longer serves a national interest,” he said. “It has no legal justification.”

He stressed that Syria is in a delicate phase of national reconciliation, in which balancing justice and peace is critical.

“There are two parallel tracks - transitional justice and civil peace - and today, the priority is civil peace, as it lays the groundwork for all other strategic efforts,” he said.

Soufan added that the committee has requested expanded powers from the Syrian president, including the authority to release detainees not proven guilty and to coordinate directly with state institutions.

He insisted that the aim is not to bypass justice, but to prevent further bloodshed. “Vengeance and retribution are not paths to justice,” he said. “They allow real criminals to slip away while deepening divisions.”

While affirming that transitional justice remains essential, Soufan noted that it should focus on top perpetrators of atrocities, not individuals who merely served under the regime. “Justice means accountability for those who planned and carried out major crimes, not blanket punishment.”