A Russian BTR-82A armored personnel carrier has been damaged in an improvised explosive device (IED) attack on the M4 motorway in Syria’s Idlib, no members of the crew have been injured, Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Igor Konashenkov said on Tuesday.
“Today, during the joint patrolling on the route between the settlements of Ariha and Urum al-Jawz, militants attempted to carry out a terrorist attack with the goal to undermine the monitoring along the M4 motorway. As a result of the explosion on the route of the convoy, one Russian armored personnel carrier has received minor damage,” he said, adding that no crew has been injured.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan approved a ceasefire in Syria’s Idlib province and other measures aimed to regulate the situation in the region during the talks in Moscow on March 5. All hostilities in Idlib must be stopped on the entire line of contact starting March 6, the declaration signed on the outcomes of the meeting informs. Starting March 15, Russia and Turkey began joint patrolling on the M4 motorway in Syria, along which they created a security corridor. Moscow and Ankara have confirmed their commitment to maintaining Syria’s sovereignty, agreeing to continue decisive fight against terrorism.
Russia has repeatedly noted that the patrols are unsafe due to potential attacks by militants. Due to this, the length of the first route has been shortened. In response, Turkish officials stated that they would take additional security measures in order to prolong the route of both countries’ military forces.
