Turkish and Russian troops carried out their longest joint patrol along the key M4 highway in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib, since the two sides signed a protocol last March urging parties to cease all military actions along the line of contact in the Idlib de-escalation area.
On Tuesday, Turkey's National Defense Ministry said, “To maintain the Turkish-Russian ceasefire agreement in Syria, the 17th Combined Land Patrol was conducted in Idlib province Tuesday.”
The ministry said on Twitter that due to the detonation of an unidentified explosive, a patrol vehicle was lightly damaged and taken to a safe location, adding that no personnel had been harmed in the incident.
The patrol has toured an area of more than 40 km along the M4 highway for the first time since the start of joint patrols between the two sides.
It set off from the Tarnabeh village in eastern Idlib towards the eastern outskirts of Jisr Al-Shughur city.
Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said a Russian jet executed two raids in the early hours of Tuesday morning, targeting the vicinity of Al-Mawzarah village in southern Idlib. No casualties have been reported.
It said regime forces renewed their rocket attacks on places in Kafr Oweid, Al-Rwayha, Bayanin, Sfuhen, Al-Fterah, and the vicinity of Kansafrah in the southern countryside of Idlib.
Separately, the Observatory said dozens of residents in the villages of Ras al-Ain in the governorate of Hasaka, held a demonstration against the practices of Turkish-backed factions, such as attacking citizens and stealing agricultural crops and burning them.
It said members of the factions opened fire on demonstrators to disperse them, injuring two people.
“Turkish-backed factions continue their violations against the people in the Peace Spring areas. The factions are collecting zakat from farmers and confiscating the crop from those who do not have official proof of land ownership,” the Observatory explained.
