Russian soldiers die in clash with ‘terrorists’

The Russian Defence Ministry says four of its soldiers have been killed in a clash with “terrorists” in north-eastern Syria.

The ministry said yesterday that the dead were military advisers attached to a Syrian army unit in the Deir el-zour region.

In a statement reported by Russian news agencies, the ministry said “two Russian military advisers, who controlled fire of the Syrian battery, died at the scene”.

The statement added that five others were wounded, two of whom died in a Russian military hospital.

The ministry said 43 insurgents were killed in the night-time battle. Russia has provided crucial military support to President Bashar Assad’s forces, helping them to roll back mainstream rebels as well as the Islamic State group.

Russia and Syria both refer to the armed opposition as “terrorists”.

Syria’s army took Deir alzour city last November but Islamic State fighters remain active. Officially Russia has lost about 90 personnel in the Syrian civil war.