AL-WASIT /Syria/, August 10. /TASS/. The Russian military police will create eight outposts near the demilitarized zone at the Golan Heights on the Syrian-Israeli border, a deputy commander of the Russian forces in Syria in charge of of military police, Viktor Zaytsev, said.

According to the official, the first permanent observation post of the Russian military police has already been set up.

"Seven more will be created in the future. They will serve as a security guarantee for civilians of the Quneitra governorate," he said.

Another deputy commander of the Russian forces in Syria, Sergei Kuralenko, said the outposts will be created near the demilitarized zone, controlled by UN forces.

"I would like to stress that there will be no Russian military police posts in the demilitarized zone," he said.

Golan Heights issue

The Golan Heights had been part of Syria since 1944, but the territory was seized by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War. In 1981, the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, passed a law on the Golan Heights, which unilaterally proclaimed Israel’s sovereignty over that territory. The annexation was deemed illegal under UN Security Council Resolution 497 of December 17, 1981.

Later, a part of the territory and the town of Quneitra were returned to Syria on the condition that the territory will be demilitarized and a UN mission will be deployed there.

According to earlier reports, a UN mission, accompanied by the Russian military police, has for the first time ever entered the region from the territory of Syria since the start of the Syrian conflict. Prior to that, UN forces headquartered in the capital Damascus, had to enter the area via the Lebanese border, because the Syrian part of the demilitarized zone was held by militants.