A senior Turkish officer has assured the Russian military that the area of Syria’s M4 highway covered by their joint patrol will expand gradually, EDNews reports citing Sputnik.
On Monday, Russia and Turkey conducted the second joint patrol of highway that connects Aleppo and Latakia. The route was initially shortened for security reasons. The Russian military had previously stated that Turkey pledged to neutralize extremist groups and thereby ensure security of patrols along the entire highway as soon as possible.
Joint patrols along the strategically important M4 highway, which is currently controlled by militants, are conducted pursuant to a memorandum on a ceasefire in Idlib province agreed by the Russian and Turkish presidents during their talks in Moscow on March 5. The first patrol was conducted on March 15, and was similarly shortened due to provocations by militant groups not controlled by Ankara.