Russia starts pulling troops out of Syria

Putin: Military goals reached

The first of Moscow’s warplanes landed back in Russia from Syria on Tuesday at the start of a surprise withdrawal that Western governments hope could boost peace talks by pressuring the Damascus regime.

UN peace envoy Staffan de Mistura described the pullout as a “significant development” for the negotiations that began in Geneva on Monday in the latest push to end the brutal conflict as it enters its sixth year.

“We hope (this) will have a positive impact on the progress of the negotiations,” he said in a statement.

President Vladimir Putin on Monday ordered the “main part” of Russia’s forces out of the war-torn nation, but the Kremlin denied it was trying to pressure its long-time ally President Bashar al-Assad. Russia will, however, keep a contingent at its air and naval bases in Syria and a senior official said strikes against “terrorists” would continue.

Russian helicopters pounded jihadist positions around the ancient city of Palmyra on Tuesday as Syrian troops pressed a ground advance, a monitoring group said.

“Russian helicopters and warplanes, that are likely Russian, are bombarding Islamic State (ISIS) group positions near Palmyra,” said Syrian Observatory for Human Rights director Rami Abdel Rahman.

Mr Putin said on Monday that Moscow’s military goal had been “on the whole” completed some five-and-a-half months and 9,000 combat sorties after the Kremlin launched its bombing campaign in support of Mr Assad.

State media broadcast live footage of flag-waving crowds greeting returning pilots at a military base in southwest Russia as a brass band played.

“It is still too early to speak of victory over terrorism. The Russian air group has a task of continuing to strike terrorist targets,” deputy defence minister Nikolai Pankov was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies at Moscow’s Hmeimim base in Syria.

The West reacted cautiously, since Moscow is yet to specify a timeframe for completing the withdrawal and a Kremlin official said Russia will keep advanced air defence systems in Syria.

Some governments expressed hope the Russian move could push Mr Assad to negotiate, but in Geneva both sides remained locked in a bitter dispute over his fate.

Mr De Mistura was expected to hold his first official meeting with the Opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC) on Tuesday, which has repeatedly said Mr Assad cannot be part of Syria’s political future.

German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said a Russian withdrawal “increases the pressure” on Mr Assad to negotiate.