Russian forces enter Syrian border towns after deal struck with Turkey

Russian forces and Syrian troops began to deploy along the Turkish border on Wednesday, after reaching an agreement with Turkey to avoid a major offensive against Kurdish-controlled Syria.



Humvees with Russian flags were filmed leading to Kobane, a city considered by the Kurds as the heart of their territory, marking the first pro-regime presence in the area in more than seven years.



The agreement, which was reached between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey and Russian President Vladimir Putin, gave Kurdish fighters with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) until Tuesday afternoon to retire 18 miles along a stretch 270 miles from the border.



The Turkish Ministry of Defense said Wednesday that the withdrawal of its so-called "safe zone" would mean that "there would be no more need to carry out a new operation," which would avoid a dreaded humanitarian crisis.