Putin claims Russia evacuated 4,000 “Iranian fighters” from Syria

“If earlier, for example, our Iranian friends asked us to help them transfer their units to Syrian territory, now they asked us to withdraw them from there. We took 4,000 Iranian fighters to Tehran. From the Khmeimim base,” Putin said during his annual news conference and call-in show in Moscow on Thursday.

The president stated approximately 30,000 people defended Aleppo when 350 forces from anti-regime groups approached the city late last month.

“Government troops, and along with them the so-called pro-Iranian units, retreated without a fight, blew up their positions and left,” he added.

Commenting on whether Russia will leave its bases in Syria, Putin stated he does not know that yet.

“We must decide for ourselves how our relations will develop with those political forces that now control and will control the situation in this country in the future. Our interests must coincide,” he continued.

​​​​​​​Putin also announced that he has not spoken to ousted Syrian leader al-Assad since he fled and was granted asylum in Russia.

Syria has been gripped by foreign-sponsored militancy since March 2011.

The Iranian military advisors, who were present in Syria at the official invitation of the Syrian government, have played an important role in helping the Syrians fight terrorism and establish peace, stability, and lasting security in the Arab country.