A Russian military vehicle was pelted with Molotov cocktails during its joint patrol of northeastern Syria with Turkish forces.
Videos that appeared on Kurdish and Turkish news outlets Monday showed a group of young people hurling rocks at passing armored vehicles near the Syrian border town of Kobani. Another video showed them setting the side of a Russian-flagged Typhoon mine-resistant vehicle on fire with the makeshift explosive.
Russia’s conflict reconciliation center in Syria said no troops were injured and no equipment was damaged in the attack, the RBC news website reported Monday. The convoy resumed its patrol afterward.
“The convoy leader has decided to go around this group of young people in order to prevent possible accidents,” the reconciliation center was quoted as saying.
The reconciliation center called the Molotov-throwing incident during the eighth Russian-Turkish patrol a provocation, RBC reported.
Earlier this month, video footage showed angry crowds pelting the second joint patrol with stones.
Turkey and its Syrian rebel allies have grabbed a swath of land in northeastern Syria after launching a cross-border offensive in October against the Kurdish militia.
Turkey has warned Monday that it would launch another military campaign in northeast Syria if Russia and the United States did not clear the area of Kurdish forces.
The countries last month clinched separate deals to remove the Kurdish YPG militia, which helped the U.S. defeat the Islamic State in Syria but is considered a terrorist group by Turkey, from the area.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
