Russian-Turkish patrol in Syria’s Idlib countryside targeted

IDLIB – Syria (North Press)

On Thursday, a landmine exploded south of Idlib during the passage of an unannounced joint Russian-Turkish patrol which had less security than its predecessors.

Field sources told North Press that a landmine exploded south of Ariha town near the Russian military vehicles participating in the patrol, which started from Tarnaba southwest of Saraqeb up to the Kafr Shlaya town, west of Ariha, without no reported injuries.

Sources pointed out that the patrol started unannounced, and did not take long to reach the Kafr Shlaya town before returning to the starting point in Tarnaba.

Russian-Turkish joint patrols face difficulties in completing the whole track. On the 28th of May a joint patrol, accompanied by Russian warplanes, travelled from Tarnaba town to Kafr Shlaya village, without reaching their final destination at Mahambel village.

On the 12th of May, a joint patrol came under fire in the outskirts of Ariha, where Hayat Tahrir Sham (HTS)controlled areas end and those of the Turkistan Islamic Party begin. The patrol was stoned and forced to return to its departure point in Tarnaba without completing its track.