AA / Istanbul / Burc Eruygur
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Moscow had helped evacuate 4,000 pro-Iranian fighters from Syria, where the 61-year-old Baath Party regime was toppled by anti-regime groups who took control of the capital, Damascus, earlier this month.
Putin addressed the latest developments in Syria on Thursday in Moscow during his annual press conference and the “Direct Line” program.
“Previously, for example, our Iranian friends asked us to help them transfer their units to Syrian territory; today, they are asking us to evacuate them from this territory. We evacuated 4,000 Iranian fighters to Tehran from the Hmeimim base,” he said.
The Russian president also said that during the fall of the Baath regime, 350 anti-regime fighters entered Aleppo, while 30,000 soldiers from the Assad regime and pro-Iranian troops withdrew without a fight.
“Government troops, as well as so-called pro-Iranian units, retreated without resistance, blew up their positions and left,” he said.
Asked about a possible departure of Russia from its bases in Syria, Vladimir Putin replied that he did not know for the moment.
“We must decide for ourselves how our relations will develop with the political forces that control today and will control the situation in this country in the future. Our interests must coincide,” he added.
He also proposed using Moscow’s bases in Hmeimim and Tartus to deliver humanitarian aid.
Russian President Putin regretted the attitude of Israel which, instead of leaving Syria, is sending additional troops there.
Vladimir Putin also said he had not spoken to the leader of the deposed Syrian regime, Bashar al-Assad, since the latter was granted asylum in Russia.
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