In Pictures: Turkey, Russia hold first joint patrol in northeast Syria

SUMMARY

Turkish and Russian troops in armoured vehicles held their first joint ground patrols in northeast Syria on Friday under a deal between the two countries that forced a Kurdish militia away from territory near Turkey's border.

By ReutersNov 3, 2019 9:49:04 AM IST (Updated)

Turkish military vehicles arrive at the Turkish-Syrian border before a joint Turkish-Russian patrol in northeast Syria, near the Turkish border town of Kiziltepe in Mardin province, Turkey. REUTERS/Kemal Aslan

Turkish and Russian troops in armoured vehicles held their first joint ground patrols in northeast Syria on Friday under a deal between the two countries that forced a Kurdish militia away from territory near Turkey's border. REUTERS/Kemal Aslan

Turkey and allied Syrian rebels launched a cross-border offensive on October 9 against the Kurdish YPG militia, seizing control of 120 km (75 miles) of land along the frontier. REUTERS/Kemal Aslan

Last week, Ankara and Moscow agreed to remove the militia fighters to a depth of at least 30 km (19 miles) south of the border and Russia has told Turkey that the YPG left the strip. REUTERS/Kemal Aslan

Turkish armoured vehicles on Friday drove across the border to join their Russian counterparts, according to Reuters television footage filmed from the Turkish side of the border. Around four hours later, they returned to Turkey. REUTERS/Kemal Aslan

Ground and air units were involved in the patrol around the Syrian border town of Darbasiya, the Turkish Defence Ministry said on Twitter, showing photos of soldiers studying a map and of four armoured vehicles. Turkish Defence Ministry/Handout via REUTERS

Turkish and Russian soldiers meet on the Turkish-Syrian border before a joint patrol in northeast Syria, near the Turkish town of Kiziltepe in Mardin province, Turkey. Turkish Defence Ministry/Handout via REUTERS

A Syrian national flag flutters near the northeastern Syrian town of al-Darbasiyah. Russia is the Syrian government's most powerful ally and helped it turn the tables in the country's civil war by retaking much of the country from rebels since 2015. The Turkish-Russian deal last week allowed Syrian government forces to move back into border regions from which they had been absent for years. REUTERS/Kemal Aslan

Turkish military vehicles return following a joint Turkish-Russian patrol in northeast Syria, as they are seen near the Turkish border town of Kiziltepe in Mardin province. REUTERS/Kemal Aslan