16.10.2018, Moscow.
The Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist group (organization banned in Russia) has withdrawn its militants deep into the demilitarized zone in the Syrian province of Idlib, a source of RIA Novosti reported on October 15.
According to the source, the group’s militants were supposed to surrender their heavy weapons and leave a 15 to 20 kilometer-wide demilitarized zone; but for unknown reasons, they left with their weapons, instead.
The source noted that there is still no consensus between Turkey and Russia regarding what heavy weapons are. Russia believes that the Soviet-made ZSU-23-4 anti-aircraft self-propelled gun to be a heavy weapon, but Turkey believes that it is a medium-sized weapon.
The agreement to establish a demilitarized zone was reached on September 17 in Sochi between the President of Russia Vladimir Putin and the President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. According to Putin, radically-minded militants must leave a 15 to 20 kilometer-wide demilitarized zone by October 15, 2018.
Source: Rossa Primavera News Agency
