DAMASCUS, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian Foreign Ministry condemned on Sunday the joint U.S.-Turkish patrols in northeastern Syria, saying such a move is a flagrant violation to the international law, according to the state news agency SANA.
Such a move is condemned as it constitutes a blatant violation to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria, said the ministry in its statement.
The joint patrols are also regarded as an act of aggression that aims to prolong the Syrian civil war, following the progress made by the Syrian army in the battles against the rebels, said the statement.
While the Syrian government renews its rejection of the so-called safe zone in northeastern Syria, it stresses that it will work to bring down all schemes aiming to undermine the territorial integrity of the country, the ministry concluded.
The statement comes as Turkish military vehicles crossed into northeastern Syria to conduct joint patrols with the U.S. as part of the so-called safe zone plan that has been deliberated by Washington and Ankara for over a month.
The joint patrols are the first step of the safe zone plan reached between the two sides last month.
However, the details surrounding the safe zone plan remain unclear.
