Russia to start Syrian withdrawal
SYRIA: Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced that Russia will start to withdraw the bulk of its forces from Syria, following its ‘‘successful intervention’’ in the conflict there.
The announcement yesterday comes after the defence ministry said last week that Russia had ‘‘completely liberated’’ Syria from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, despite reports that the jihadist group still controls some remote territory in the country.
Speaking to soldiers at Russia’s Khmeimim airbase in Latakia during his first trip to Syria, where he was welcomed by President Bashar al-Assad, Putin said he was ordering the defence minister and head of the general staff to begin recalling Russian forces to their home bases.
‘‘In two and a half years, Russia’s military, along with the Syrian army, have defeated the most battle-worthy gang of international terrorists,’’ Putin said. ‘‘In connection with this, I’ve made the decision that a significant part of the Russian military contingent located in the Syrian Arab Republic will return home to Russia.’’
However, he made it clear that Russia’s military presence in Syria was a permanent one, and that it would retain enough firepower to destroy any Isis comeback.
‘‘If the terrorists raise their head again, we will hit them with such strikes as they have never seen,’’ Putin said. ‘‘We will never forget the casualties and losses that we suffered in the fight with terrorism here in Syria as well as at home in Russia.’’
He told his troops they were ‘‘returning with victory’’ to their homeland and loved ones.
Putin’s visit to Syria came just a few days after he said he would run for re-election in March, a vote that is expected to keep him in power until 2024, nearly as long as Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.
Moscow’s casualties have been mounting in Syria as its presence grew from advisers and military contractors to include special forces and an air campaign this year, although the exact number of deaths remains secret.
Despite Putin’s talk of a drawdown, Russia has been increasingly involved in attacks on rebel-held areas outside the capital, Damascus.
Eastern Ghouta, a besieged suburb of Damascus, is the last remaining large swathe of rebelheld area around Assad’s seat of power and the current focus of its firepower.
Positioning himself as one of the main power brokers in the region, Putin made a whistle-stop tour of the Middle East yesterday, with visits to Syria, Egypt and Turkey. Russia has been drafting an agreement to deploy warplanes to Egypt, further increasing its presence in the Middle East.
A Pentagon spokesman said Putin was likely to carry out a ‘‘token withdrawal’’ of some aircraft, then follow this up by demanding that the United States pull its forces out of Syria.
"In two and a half years, Russia's military, along with the Syrian army, have defeated the most battle-worthy gang of international terrorists."
Vladimir Putin, Russian president