Farewell Ceremony for Two Russian Servicemen Killed in Syria Held Near Chita

CHITA (Russia) (Sputnik) - A farewell ceremony for the Russian first lieutenant and sergeant first class killed in Syria have been held in Russia's Zabaikalsky Territory, a source, who was present at the ceremony, told Sputnik on Sunday.

"Over 200 people came to the farewell ceremony, military and civilians. The sergeant will be buried at the central cemetery of Chita, the lieutenant in Peschanka, in the suburbs of Chita. According to the information mentioned during the ceremony, the bodies of two other servicemen were sent to other districts of the Zabaikalsky Territory," the source said.

Earlier in the day, the Russian Defense Ministry said that four Russian servicemen were killed in a night attack of militants on a Syrian army's artillery battery in the province of Deir ez-Zor. Two military advisers were killed on the spot, two other servicemen succumbed to injuries at a hospital.

During the nighttime battle, 43 terrorists were killed and six vehicles equipped with large-caliber machine guns were destroyed.

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On December 11, 2017, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the withdrawal of Russian troops from Syria after more than two years of successful struggle against terrorist organizations; however, a permanent group of the Russian military remains at the military bases at Hmeymim and Tartus on the territory of the Arab Republic.