Russian UN Envoy Calls on Closing Syria-Turkey Border to End ISIS Arms Flow

Russian UN Envoy Calls on Closing Syria-Turkey Border to End ISIS Arms Flow
Wed Apr 20, 2016 21:27:56

Russian UN envoy said on Wednesday that closure of Syrian-Turkish border is a top priority to cut off ISIS weapons and militants transfer to Syria.

The Russian diplomat made the demand as earlier reports suggested that Syrian militants were receiving multiple arms supplies inlcuding ground-to-ground missiles from Turkey, Sputnik reported.

"We are well aware that, unfortunately, weapons, equipment, ammunition and militants belonging to al-Nusra Front and ISIS cross to the Syrian territory through the Turkish-Syrian border. Therefore, one of the priority tasks is to effectively block the Turkish-Syrian border," Alexey Borodavkin said.

Early February, Syrian government forces alongside the National Defense Forces have managed to cut off several main supply lines of Al-Nusra Front militants on the Turkish border, however many other transfer routes have remained open to the terrorists.

In December 2015, the Russian Defense Ministry released satellite images showing oil allegedly being trucked from ISIS facilities in Syria to Turkey.

ISIS also used the Turkish city of Gaziantep to sell off thousands of antiquities looted in Iraq and Syria, according to the Russian permanent representative to the UN.

Ankara officially denies having links to ISIS, which is outlawed in multiple countries including Russia, FNA reported.

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