OREANDA-NEWS For the first time, the Russian military police conducted a joint patrol with the UN mission in the southern part of the demilitarized zone near the Syrian-Israeli border.

"The command of the Armed forces of the Russian Federation has set the task of organizing interaction and joint patrols with the UN mission in the demilitarized zone, in the Golan heights... the Main task of our unit is to ensure the security of the UN mission in the Golan heights. In the future, we will expand the patrol area. Patrol routes will be held throughout the demilitarized zone, where previously there were UN posts, " the commander of the battalion of the Russian military police told reporters.

Deputy commander of the group of Russian troops in Syria, Lieutenant General Sergei Kuralenko noted that the successful opening of the border crossing "Quneitra" allowed to continue the work on expanding the patrol route in the southern part of the demilitarized zone of the UN mission.

"The Russian military police have been patrolling the entire demilitarized zone for a long time, but joint patrolling South of the Kuneitra border crossing is being carried out for the first time today. It is a joint patrol. Today, the Russian military police ensures the security of the UN mission in carrying out this task. The mission in addition to questions of safety, learning of safety of a route will examine it and examine a number of the posts States that are South of the border "Quneitra". In the future, we plan to continue joint patrols directly to the southernmost point of the demilitarized zone," he said.

The Golan heights belonging to Syria since 1944 were captured by Israel during the six-day war of 1967, and then the Israeli Parliament adopted the law "on the Golan heights", which unilaterally proclaimed the sovereignty of the Jewish state over this territory.

The UN resolution declared the annexation illegal, then part of the territory of the Golan heights and the settlement of Quneitra were returned to Syria on the terms of demilitarization of the zone and the deployment of the UN mission there.

During the armed conflict in Syria, the territory came under the control of militants. In early August, after the liberation of the zone from terrorists, the UN mission, accompanied by the military police of the Russian Federation for the first time since the beginning of the armed conflict in Syria, patrolled the zone, stopping in it from Syria. The next patrol was carried out by the UN forces alone, unaccompanied by the Russian military. Thanks to the work of the Russian military police, all heavy weapons brought here by militants were also withdrawn from the demilitarized zone.