Russia ‘close to’ deal with rebels to retain military bases in Syria

MOSCOW: Russia has established direct contacts with the political committee of Syria’s Islamist rebel group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Interfax news agency quoted Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov as saying on Thursday.

Interfax reported that Bogdanov, speaking to journalists, also said that Moscow aimed to maintain its military bases in Syria to continue “fighting international terrorism”.

Bogdanov said contacts with HTS, the most powerful force in the country after the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad, were “proceeding in constructive fashion”.

Russia, he said, hoped the group would fulfil its pledges to “guard against all excesses”, maintain order and ensure the safety of diplomats and other foreigners.

Bogdanov said Russia hoped to maintain its two bases in Syria - a naval base in Tartous and the Khmeimim Air Base near the port city of Latakia - to keep up efforts against international terrorism. “The bases are still there, where they were on Syrian territory. No other decisions have been made for the moment,” he was quoted as saying.

“They were there at the Syrians’ request with the aim of fighting terrorists from the Islamic State. I am proceeding on the basis of the notion that everyone agrees that the fight against terrorism, and what remains of IS, is not over.”

Maintaining that fight, he said, “requires collective efforts and in this connection, our presence and the Khmeimim base played an important role in the context of the overall fight against international terrorism.”

Five Russian warships, including three frigates and at least one submarine, were photographed in Tartus port last week but had left by Monday.

The warships were in a holding pattern 10 miles off the Syrian coast, out of range of rebel artillery and drone attacks, images released by US-based Maxar showed.