DAMASCUS and Moscow vowed to continue the fight against terrorists as Russian jets began returning from Syria yesterday

Three Su-34 strike aircraft led by a Tu-154 transport left Hemeimeem air base in Latakia province yesterday morning.

The United Nations and fellow Syrian ally Iran welcomed the decision, which followed a return to talks by foreign-backed rebels.

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said it indicated there was no “imminent need to resort to force in maintaining the ceasefire.”

But Russian Deputy Defence Minister Nikolai Pankov said that strikes against Islamic State (Isis) and the al-Qaida-affiliated Nusra Front — neither group included in the truce — would continue.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the withdrawal of most of the Russian forces in Syria on Monday evening, less than six months after they arrived, with the agreement of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government.

Mr Putin said his country’s intervention had largely achieved its goals of strengthening the Syrian government’s hand and forcing insurgents to the negotiating table.

“The effective work of our military forces allowed the peace process to begin,” he said.

Mr Putin said that Russian and Syrian forces “have changed the situation in the fight with international terrorism and have seized the initiative.”

Personnel will remain at Hemeimeem and Russia’s long-established Mediterranean naval base at Tartus, and Russian reconnaissance missions against Isis and the Nusra Front will continue.

Russian parliamentary defence and security committee chairman Viktor Ozerov said a minimum of 800 tropps would be needed to protect the bases. He added that the state-of-the-art S-400 surface-to-air missile system at Hemeimeem, installed following Turkey’s shooting-down of a Russian jet in November, would also stay.

Since September 30 the Russian air force contingent of 30 combat aircraft has flown 9,000 sorties, more than the US-led “global coalition” of some 60 nations against Isis conducted in 18 months.

“Backed by our aviation, Syrian forces have freed 400 populated areas and over 10,000 square kilometres (3,860 square miles) of territory,” Russian Defence Minister Sergey Shoygu told Monday’s press conference.