ANKARA, May 20 (Xinhua) -- Turkish and Russian troops conducted their 12th joint patrol along a key highway in Idlib, northwestern Syria, the Turkish defense ministry said on Wednesday.
"Within the framework of TUR-RF Agreement/Protocol, the 12th TUR-RF Combined Land Patrol on M-4 Highway in Idlib was conducted with the participation of land and air elements," the ministry tweeted.
The two countries have accelerated the frequency of the patrolling activities in the area and have been holding at least one patrol once a week in Idlib, the last stronghold of the rebels. The eleventh joint patrol was carried out on May 14.
The key M4 highway, located about 30 km away from the southern border of Turkey, links Aleppo to Latakia in Syria.
On March 5, Turkey and Russia sealed a deal to maintain a temporary cease-fire for "all military actions along the line of contact in the Idlib de-escalation area" and envisaged the establishment of a security corridor six km to the north and six km to the south of the M4 highway, after nearly 60 Turkish soldiers were killed in escalated tensions between the Syrian government and Turkish troops in the region.
Joint Turkish-Russian patrols began on March 15 along the M4 highway as part of the deal.
