MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Russia’s Aerospace Defense Forces have destroyed multiple pieces of Islamist hardware over two days of operations near the Syrian city of Deir Ez-Zor, the Russian Defense Ministry said Saturday.
"Over the past two days, Russian planes have destroyed 9 pieces of hardware, including two tanks, 6 artillery nests, one homemade multiple rocket launchers, 3 ammunition depots, a command center, as well as 20 trucks loaded with fuel, arms and ammunition," the statement read.
Syrian government troops, supported by the Russian Aerospace Forces, continue to encircle militants of the Daesh terrorist group (banned in Russia) near Akerbat settlement in Syria's Hama province, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement on Saturday.
Militants from the Daesh terror group have been pulling armored vehicles and munitions to the Syrian city of Deir Ez-Zor, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
"Daesh militants are not giving up their efforts to halt the advance of Syrian troops by moving armored vehicles, off-road vehicles with mounted heavy machine guns, arms and ammunition to the Deir Ez-Zor area and by setting up new positions reinforced with artillery systems and mortars," the statement read.
The Russian military said it was destroying Daesh targets round the clock, including hardware, ammo depots and artillery nests.
"A convoy of 12 Daesh trucks carrying weapons and ammunition and off-road vehicles with mounted heavy machine guns, anti-aircraft weapons and mortars was destroyed on the road between Deir Ez-Zor and Rasafe," the ministry said.
Deir ez-Zor, located on the shores of the Euphrates River to the northeast of Damascus, and a military airfield near the city have been besieged by Daesh for over three years, with food and ammunition only being delivered by air.
The civil war between the Syrian government forces and various opposition and terror groups has been raging since 2011. Russia has been supporting the forces of Syria's President Bashar Assad in their fight against terrorism. Also, Russia, alongside Turkey and Iran, is a guarantor of the Syrian ceasefire regime.
