Putin orders partial Russia troop withdrawal from Syria

MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin on Monday ordered the partial withdrawal of Russian troops from Syria during a surprise visit to the war-torn country.

“I order the defence minister and the chief of general staff to start withdrawing the Russian group of troops to their permanent bases,” Putin said in a televised speech as he visited Russia’s Hmeimim airbase in Syria. “I have taken a decision: a significant part of the Russian troop contingent located in Syria is returning home to Russia.

Meanwhile, Putin told Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that he wanted to work with Iran and Turkey to kick-start the Syrian peace process, Russian news agencies reported. Putin was also cited as telling Assad he hoped that it would be possible to launch the work of the Syrian Congress on National Dialogue and that he would discuss the matter in forthcoming meetings with the presidents of Egypt and Turkey.