On April 7, Russian forces deployed reinforcements in their base within the al-Qamishli Airport in Syria’s northeastern region.
According to the Anadolu Agency, the reinforcements included 50 trucks and armored vehicles. The reinforcements were sent from the town of Ayn Issa in northern Raqqa, where the Russian Military Police maintains a coordination center with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
The Russian reinforcements were escorted by two helicopters. Upon approaching the airport, a U.S. patrol chased the convoy.
The Russian base in the al-Qamishli Airport was established last year following a breakthrough agreement between the Damascus government and the SDF.
Initially, several opposition sources claimed that Russia will turn the airport to a full-scale air base, similar to the one in Hmeimim, Lattakia. However, these claims were false. The base was only established to oversee the implementation of the Damascus-SDF agreement, as well as the Russian-Turkish understanding on northeast Syria.
The deployment of fresh reinforcements in the al-Qamishli Airport signals Russia’s commitment to the agreements on northeast Syria. In the last few weeks, Turkish forces violated the agreements on several occasions, targeting Kurdish and government forces.
