The armies of
Syria and
Turkey traded deadly
fire Tuesday for the first time since Ankara launched an anti-Kurdish offensive in early October, as
Russia announced Kurdish forces had withdrawn from the key border area.
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said Kurdish forces had pulled back from the entire Turkish-Syrian border in accordance with a deal struck between Ankara and regime backer
Moscow in Sochi earlier this month.
"The withdrawal of armed units from territory where a security corridor should be created has been completed ahead of time," Shoigu said, as quoted by
Russian news agencies.