Turkey And Russia Hold Second Extended Patrol In Southern Idlib (Photos, Video)
The route of the 9th joint patrol was even longer than those of the 8th one. Click to see the full-size image
On April 7, the Russian Military Police and the Turkish Army held a joint patrol along the M4 highway in southern Idlib. This was a second extended patrol held by the sides since the signing of the southern Idlib de-escalation deal in March.
#Syria: for the 1st time #Russia|ns reached outskirts of Ariha during a patrol with #TSK on M4 Highway after the barriers erected by protesters were removed. pic.twitter.com/7FrtVxtbrx
— Qalaat Al Mudiq (@QalaatAlMudiq) May 7, 2020
According to reports from the local sources, the joint patrol reached the eastern entrance to the town of Ariha and then returned to the area west of Saraqib. There were a total of 9 joint Turkish-Russian patrols during the past months. The one held on May 7 was the longest one.
Meanwhile, Idlib sources speculate that the M4 highway near Nayrab was deblocked thanks to an agreement between Turkey and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra, the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda). In return to removing own radicals from the area, the terrorist group reportedly was promised to get control of a commercial crossing with the government-held area. Previously, Turkish-backed forces blocked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham attempts to open such crossings in western Aleppo and eastern Idlib.
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