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Militants in Syria plant remote control mines after retreat — Russian Defense Ministry

The mines can be activated after civilians return to their settlements
Destroyed buildings south Kobane, Syria EPA/SEDAT SUNA
Destroyed buildings south Kobane, Syria
© EPA/SEDAT SUNA

MOSCOW, October 21. /TASS/. Retreating terrorists in Syria are massively planting remote control explosive devices in populated areas liberated by the Syrian government forces, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said on Wednesday.

These mines can be activated after civilians return to their settlements, he added.

"I want to draw your attention to the information we’re receiving via several channels about the tactics of militants retreating under the strikes of the Syrian government forces," the spokesman said.

"Their actions directly evidence their affiliation with terrorist groupings. Before leaving their positions in populated areas, they are massively mining the area, abandoned houses and the social infrastructure facilities that have survived, planting remote control explosive devices," Konashenkov said.

The militants "are masking a considerable part of these explosives and equipping them with countdown timers, which should trigger in a certain time interval sometimes lasting up to several weeks," he said.

"As you understand, this tactics will allow carrying out terrorist acts in the populated areas liberated by the Syrian government forces already after civilians return to their homes and repair and reconstruction works begin," he said.