Personnel from Russia and Turkey are on a joint patrol in Ayn al-Arab, Syria, near the Syrian-Turkish border, on Nov. 5, 2019. (Xinhua)

The route for a Russian-Turkish joint patrol of the strategic M4 highway in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib was shortened due to provocations by militants, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday.

The militants tried to use civilians, including women and children, as a "human shield," the ministry said in a statement.

The Russian-Turkish center on the coordination for the joint patrolling and ceasefire monitoring in Syria decided to reduce the length of the route to avoid possible incidents that may involve civilians, it said.

The Turkish side was given extra time to neutralize the rebels and ensure security of the joint patrols along the M4 highway, it added.

Earlier this month, Russia and Turkey agreed to create a safety corridor six km to the north and six km to the south from the strategic M4 highway, which connects Aleppo in northern Syria with Latakia in the northwest.

Moscow and Ankara also agreed to begin joint patrolling of the M4 highway on March 15 as part of the efforts to reduce tensions in Idlib.