Russia, Syria urge U.S. to release refugees from Rukban camp

MOSCOW, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Russia and Syria called on the United States on Wednesday to release displaced Syrians held against their will in the Rukban camp in southern Syria.

"Syrians, who were forced to leave their homes, fleeing from the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group have actually been in a military blockade on the border with Jordan and Syria already for 1,769 days," said a joint statement of the Russian and Syrian interdepartmental coordination staffs.

The U.S. side, which illegally occupies the 55-km al-Tanf zone, where the Rukban camp is located, continues blocking measures taken by the Syrian government to evacuate the displaced to their places of permanent residence, the statement said.

According to a survey conducted by the United Nations and the Syrian Red Crescent Society, 95 percent of about 40,000 Syrians held in Rukban wish to leave the camp as soon as possible, the statement said.

Russia and Syria urged the United States "to move from populism to real actions," which includes the release of the Rukban camp residents, ensuring their access to their places of permanent residence and provision of guarantees of safe passage of humanitarian road convoys through the al-Tanf zone.

They also urged members of the international community to state their positions clearly and take concrete steps to resolve the issue.