Journalists Survived Latakia Shelling Thanks to Russian Troop - Reporter

The journalists who came under an artillery attack in Syria's province of Latakia on Tuesday only survived thanks to the professionalism of Russian servicemen, one of the reporters said.

ATHENS (Sputnik) — Earlier in the day, 33 reporters came under artillery fire from an area near the Syria-Turkey border while on the press tour. According to earlier reports, four of them were injured.

"The servicemen saved us. Afterwards the attacks continued exactly in the place where we had been earlier. We ran away, while three local residents died and eight were injured," Thanassis Avgerinos, a reporter for Greece's Mega television channel, told RIA Novosti.

Avgerinos praised Russia’s Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov who "rushed us, made us move quicker, not remain in the same place, film quickly."

According to the Greek reporter, citing Latakia's residents, the shelling was carried out from the the village ruled by the Nusra Front militant group.

Russia and the United States reached an agreement on the introduction of a ceasefire in Syria on February 22. The ceasefire took effect on Saturday. The cessation of hostilities does not apply to designated terrorist organizations operating in Syria, including Islamic State (IS) and the Nusra Front, a group affiliated with al-Qaeda. Both groups are banned in Russia.