Russians withdraw from Syria-Lebanon border a day after arriving

A Russian force that deployed on Syria’s border with Lebanon has reportedly withdrawn and been replaced by Syrian troops.

The Lebanon-based Al-Mayadeen TV, which has reporters throughout Syria, says the Russian force withdrew today from the border area on the outskirts of the town of Qusair, a stronghold of the Lebanese Hezbollah group. Russia and the Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorist group are both fighting alongside Syrian President Bashar Assad’s forces.

Al-Mayadeen and the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights say Russian troops had deployed to the area yesterday. Neither provided details as to why they left.

The rare deployment of Russian forces near the border came amid repeated Israeli warnings about Iran’s growing military presence in Syria. Israel is widely believed to have been behind an airstrike on Qusair last month that killed and wounded Hezbollah fighters.

— AP