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On March 15, the Russian Military Police and Turkish forces conducted first joint patrol in southern Idlib. According to agreements reached in Moscow, the patrol was set to be conducted along the part of the M4 highway, where a buffer zone had to be establsihed. This included the withdrawal of heavy weapons and radical armed groups (al-Qaeda & friends) from the area. However, this did not happen. Furthermore, the countryside of Jisr al-Shughur remains the stronghold of the al-Qaeda-linked Turkistan Islamic Party.
So, Ankara and Moscow decided to conduct a limited patrol west of Saraqib to avoid an expected escalation and attacks on the patrol. Even this effort did not go without difficulties. Turkish forces failed to reopen the M4 highway (blocked by militant supporters) and the patrol took place only in a few km west of the government-controlled town of Sraqib (on the crossroad of the M5 and M4 highways.
#Syria #Idlib #M4
People refuse to pass the Russians on the road pic.twitter.com/prVj4JcoRr— Mohammed Ghorab (@MGhorab3) March 15, 2020
#Syria: #TSK armored convoy with tanks was blocked on M4 Highway by local population protesting against Turkish-Russian deal. pic.twitter.com/8RnaHwMmAr
— Qalaat Al Mudiq (@QalaatAlMudiq) March 15, 2020
In an official statement on the situation, the Russian Defense Ministry said that the patrol was limited because of provocations prepared by radical armed groups that Turkey does not control. The statement says that terrorists planned to use civilians, including women and children, to stage the provocation. Therefore, in order to avoid possible civilian casualties, the length of the patrol was reduced.
The Russian side added that Turkey received ‘additional time’ to secure the implementation of the buffer zone agreement.
#Syria: first Turkish-Russian patrol on M4 Highway didn't go as planned. Vehicles just "patrolled" ~2km inside Regime-held territory & went back to Saraqeb (E. #Idlib). TR-Ru deal faces strong resistance among local population. https://t.co/9nKZr84xGh pic.twitter.com/SZ3XpssL3U
— Qalaat Al Mudiq (@QalaatAlMudiq) March 15, 2020
Vehicles of the Turkish Armed Forces headed to Saraqib from the Qaminas campus and Sarmin to conduct joint patrols that are scheduled today on the M4 road from Termba to Ain Hamra. pic.twitter.com/Nllv6E6uXi
— Mohamad Rasheed محمد رشيد (@mohmad_rasheed) March 15, 2020
Surprisingly, the Turkish Defense Ministry admitted that there were some measures taken to prevent possible provocations. However, it forgot to note what kind of difficulties the sides experienced.
İdlib’de icra edilen 1’inci Türkiye- Rusya birleşik kara devriyesi; olası provokasyonları ve bölgedeki sivil halkın zarar görmesini önlemek amacıyla, Türk ve Rus Müşterek Koordinasyon Merkezleri arasındaki koordine sonucunda gerekli tedbirler alınarak icra edilmiştir.#MSB #TSK
— T.C. Millî Savunma Bakanlığı (@tcsavunma) March 15, 2020
The March 15 patrol is an attempt to demonstrate the new de-escalation agreement in Moscow is working. Nonetheless, while the ceasefire was really establsihed in the area, terrorists remained on their positions inside the agreed buffer zone. If the situation does not change, this will set ground for a new round of escalation in the region.
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has March 2016 war diaries been released?
And now the word to arms, exterminate them all!!!
great Zionist plan……this is getting more and more ridiculous and pathetic ………if SAA and allied Forces had no ceasefire and would have continued their offensive, they would definetly be at the gates of Idlib City and jish asch-Schughur………time wasted, offensive Momentum lost and head Choppers can reorganize defenses again and be resupplied with ever more modern weapons, ie latest the shoulder fired Ground to air Missiles!!!
way to go treacherous Zionist pig Putin, your masters are proud of you…
death to america death to Israel curse on the jews, the houthi Slogan….the bravest of the brave
You know you’re ridiculous. I’m not happy about it and it smacks of letting Turkey get away with things, but Vladimir Putin has made clear that Russia is not going to fight another major power inside Syria, absent some wild action or miscalculation made by Turks, or Americans. I’m disappointed by the Kremlin’s strategy in all this but I do remember that I didn’t vote for Mr. Putin…because I’m American. I want Russia to stand up to the UN Charter violators, led by the United States, but President Putin clearly has said that Russia’s military forces exist to protect Russians and the Russian Federation. That doesn’t mean that Russia hasn’t done good in Syria, helping to push back regime change and eliminating thousands of terrorist proxies. But the Kremlin stated a few months ago that Russia is not the world police and cannot save everyone. It is not Russia’s role to solve the world’s “America problem.” Certainly not by itself. Russia, and President Putin have earned respect by rebuilding Russia’s military but that rebuild is to protect Russia from the America problem, and Russian voters have said that they do not want escalation in Syria. Russia clearly wants to stand up to the U.S. and has helped the targets of America’s misbehavior but that’s as far as they seem prepared to go, at least for now.
But what about you, and I? You spit hatred at Mr. Putin constantly and refuse to acknowledge the good that Russia has accomplished in Syria. I’ve been critical and supportive, at different times. But both of us sit, typing at our keyboards. The Syria war has been ongoing since 2011, and Russia has been involved since 2015, with President Putin taking significant risks in visiting twice and risking Russian forces as well. What have we done? Both of us could have gone to Syria and asked the Syrian government what we could do to help. Syria faces manpower issues and could use motivated soldiers yet you are not there. Nor me. So when tossing out insults like “zionist pig” and “treacherous,” let’s remember that you haven’t done anything, or risked anything.
Putin is a typical self serving politician and he is a pussy.
No surprise, you can`t make any agreements with the orcs.
We all knew that Russia knew this wouldn’t work. The pressure now is on Turkey. I see nothing but the Hellducks going in very very soon. I mean what other option is left?
What are Hellducks?
Su 34s
Oh, ok, thanks, Wizzy. ( I don’t know much about military equipment and weapons.)
RuAF needs to drop a half dozen thermobarics in close to proximity to the rat protesters …
turkey has fooled Russia by getting ceasfire. Now turkey has bought more troops and heavy weopeons in put them in north of M4 to help Terriost. Turkey knew this ceasfire will not work so this ceasfire is just to make sure turkey get bufferzone of all M4 heavy till semalka border in east its the plan of this Erdogon thugs.
Putin just let the SAA finish off the Idlib issue by force!
it will be the only way …
https://twitter.com/Syrian_MC/status/1239168642308284417
When the SAA would get green light to destroy the Jihadis without any ceasefire, they could easily steamroll Idlib in 3-4 months.
9 years ago … the terrorists invasion began …
https://twitter.com/KevorkAlmassian/status/1239159352138838016
Thank you for posting this, Tim!
The SAA will need to begin another push from the south to the north again just as 6 weeks ago … kill as many as they can a long the way …
Pathetic effort by the TURKS …
https://twitter.com/SyriaWar2/status/1239165531288150018
Civilian protesters ?
https://twitter.com/Sohayb_Masri1/status/1239183214788435969
Kurd action behind enemy lines …
https://twitter.com/afrinactivists/status/1239151484845113346
Thanks, now I feel the need to download Red Orchestra(shooter)
That is good. I hope they will work with the SAA.
They have begun, it will proceed.
Looks the ‘local population’’ (aka pro-turkish islamist-terrorist groups) protests against joint russian-turkish MP patrols are set up by the turds themselfs…russians are so fucking naive, damn it!…
That was a devious way of stopping the patrols. lol The patrols should use crowd control technologies. Doesnt have to be high tech, could be a slaughtered pig head or a hose spraying pig’s blood. This would have been infinitely easier in peace time.(counter protests, limitations, and permits.) lol SAA should keep their distance. Last thing we need are sniper shots on the crowd. In the meantime, Russians should have recon on the crowd after dispersal to determine how these are organized, who leads them, and if there are soldiers present. They should also be attentive if there are hidden symphatizers or forced attendees because their families are held, etc.
Invisible lasers would be real good.
Erdogan is looking for shit.
Failed Putin Erdogan babysit plan.Talking about good trade relations while Turkey rots of coronavirus.
Was anyone stupid enough to actually believe that Erdogan would live up to his word?