Russia moves troops out of Afrin, as Turkey steps up it's bombing on US-allied militia

Russian soldiers [Youtube/EDGE of Reality]

The Russian military operational group and military police have been relocated from Syria’s Afrin where Turkey has started its military operation against the Kurds, Interfax news agency cited the Russian defence ministry as saying on Saturday.

Earler today, Reuters reported that Russian Chief of the General Staff of the armed forces Valery Gerasimov and his US counterpart Joseph Dunford have discussed the situation in Syria by phone, RIA news agency reported on Saturday, citing the Russian Defence Ministry.

Details of the call have not been disclosed.

The talks took place after Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said earlier on Saturday a military operation in Syria’s Kurdish-controlled Afrin region had begun after cross-border shelling by the Turkish army.

Since then, Turkey has now started air raids on Afrin; supporting the Turkish military, the Free Syrian Army (FSA) has started ground skirmishes against YPG, the US-backed militia; YPG accuses Turkey of using the shelling as an excuse to launch a ground assault.

Two hours ago, at 14.00 GMT today, the Turkish military launched “Operation Olive Branch”, with the stated aim to “…establish security and stability on our borders and region, to eliminate terrorists of PKK/KCK/PYD-YPG and Daesh, and to save our [Syrian] friends and brothers… from their [ the terrorists’] oppression and cruelty.”

Read: Turkey bombs more US-ally positions in Syria; FSA joins the conflict on Turkey’s side

Update 15.52: Reuters reports a Russian lawmaker said Moscow will help Syria diplomatically, demanding at the UN that Turkey halts military operation on Syria’s Afrin.

Franz Klintsevich, a member of the upper house of the Russian parliament’s security committee told RIA news on Saturday: “It is not only Syria that will demand this operation to stop. Russia will support this demand as well and will provide Syria with diplomatic assistance.”

Smoke rises after Turkish jets destroyed observation posts and many other targets of PYD/PKK as part of the ‘Operation Olive Branch’ in Afrin, Syria on January 20, 2018 [Onur Çoban / Anadolu Agency]

Smoke rises after Turkish jets destroyed observation posts and many other targets of PYD/PKK as part of the in Syria on January 20, 2018 [Onur Çoban / Anadolu Agency]

Smoke from explosion is seen after Turkish jets destroyed observation posts and many other targets of PYD/PKK as part of the ‘Operation Olive Branch’ in Afrin, Syria on January 20, 2018 [Stringer / Anadolu Agency]

Free Syrian Army units head towards the areas, held by PYD/PKK, on January 20, 2018 in Kilis, Turkey [Kerem Kocalar / Anadolu Agency]

Free Syrian Army members keep guard on a bulwark to take action in the nearby city of Afrin for expected Afrin operation against the PYD/PKK targets, in Aleppo, Syria on January 19, 2018 [Emin Sansar / Anadolu Agency]

A photo take from a Azaz town where the Syrian opposition members wait to take action in the nearby city of Afrin for the expected Afrin operation against the PYD/PKK targets, in Aleppo, Syria on January 19, 2018 [Emin Sansar / Anadolu Agency]

People hang Turkish flags in Sugedigi neighbourhood of Hassa district in Hatay, Turkey on January 19, 2018. Ten busses carrying commandos to reinforce the border units arrived in Hatay [Cem Genco / Anadolu Agency]

HATAY, TURKEY – JANUARY 19: Deployed Turkish Army tanks to reinforce the border units are seen in Hatay, Turkey on January 19, 2018. ( Cem Genco – Anadolu Agency )

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