Russia Wants Ankara to Deliver Control of Afrin to Syrian Gov't

TEHRAN (FNA)- Russia's Humeimim airbase in Lattakia province underlined the necessity for Turkey to deliver control of Afrin to the Syrian government as Ankara continues attempts to occupy Manbij in Northeastern Aleppo.

The Russian airbase announced on Sunday that the Turkish army's operations in Afrin have attained their goals and therefore, the Turkish side should return the region to the legal government in Syria.

Meantime, analysts said that the Turkish and US military commanders have held a meeting recently, discussing increasing cooperation beitween the two countries about their common security concerns which includes the situation of Manbij.

They added that the meeting between Turkish Chief of Staff General Hulusi Akar and his US counterpart Joseph Dunford was held following political talks between Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and his American counterpart Mike Pompeo in Brussels after which the former said that the Turkish forces will be deployed in Manbij along with the US military men.

Meantime, earlier reports from Afrin said that the Turkish army and Ankara-backed militants had detained a large number of civilians and asked for a large amount of money to free them.

The Kurdish-language Hawar news reported on Sunday that the Turkish forces have detained 20 civilians, most of them Izadis, in the village of Qatmeh in Shara region in Afrin.

It added that they also tortured the detainees and loot their properties.

Hawar news reported that the Turkish army and militants have asked $2,500 to $5,000 to free any of their hostages.

Source: http://en.farsnews.com