MOSCOW (Reuters) - Six long-range Russian bombers launched an air strike against Islamic State positions in Syria's Deir al-Zor province on Monday, destroying two command points and several arms storehouses, the Interfax news agency reported, citing Russia's Defence Ministry. </s> MOSCOW (Reuters) - Six long-range Russian bombers launched an air strike against Islamic State positions in Syria’s Deir al-Zor province on Monday, destroying two command points and several arms storehouses, the Interfax news agency reported, citing Russia’s Defence Ministry.

Related Coverage Syria warns against safe zones set up without its consent </s> MOSCOW (Reuters) - Two Russian servicemen have been killed in Deir al-Zor province after Islamic State militants shelled a convoy they were escorting, the Russian Defence Ministry was cited as saying on Monday by the Interfax news agency.

The convoy was transporting Russian ceasefire monitoring military staff when it came under mortar attack, the ministry was quoted as saying.

One soldier was killed on the spot and the other died in hospital after sustaining serious injuries. Both were awarded posthumous military awards, the ministry said.

Russia said earlier on Monday that its air force was helping the Syrian army push ahead with an offensive on the Euphrates city of Deir al-Zor, where Islamic State has besieged 93,000 civilians and an army garrison for years. </s> Two Russian servicemen have been killed in mortar shelling conducted by Islamic State (IS, former ISIS/ISIL) terrorists, the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed.

“The contract soldiers were escorting a vehicle convoy of the Russian Center for Reconciliation,” RIA Novosti reported a ministry official as saying, adding that the convoy was subjected to “mortar shelling by Islamic State terrorists while moving through the Deir ez-Zor province.”

One soldier was killed at the scene while the second one suffered severe injuries in the shelling and succumbed to his wounds in the hospital. Both servicemen were recommended for decoration posthumously, the ministry added.

The incident took place as the Syrian Army pushes forward with its offensive seeking to liberate the eastern Syrian city of Deir ez-Zor, the capital of the similarly-named province, where the shelling occurred.

The province’s governor, Mohammed Ibrahim Samra, told Reuters earlier Monday that the governmental forces could break the siege and enter the city as soon as “in 24-48 hours.”

According to some reports, some units of the Syrian Army are just 10 kilometers away from the military base of the governmental forces located in the western neighborhood of the city.

The Russian Defense Ministry previously stated that breaking the blockade of Deir ez-Zor will mark the defeat of the last capable grouping of IS terrorists in Syria. “Defeating ISIL in the Deir ez-Zor region and lifting the blockade of the city will signify a strategic defeat of the international terrorist group in Syria,” the ministry said.

The Russian Air Force also intensified its air strikes targeting the terrorists’ positions in the area. The Russian warplanes made 80 sorties over the last 24 hours and “destroyed two tanks, three infantry fighting vehicles, more than 10 all-terrain vehicles with heavy weapons mounted on them,” the ministry said earlier Monday, adding that 70 terrorists were killed and injured in the air strikes.

In the meantime, the Syrian SANA news agency reported that the Syrian Air Forces successfully destroyed Islamic State headquarters in the Hweika neighborhood in western Deir ez-Zor, killing at least nine commanders of the terrorists. </s> Russian long-range bombers have destroyed two Islamic State command centers, along with weapons and ammunition depots in Syria's Deir ez-Zor province - the latest in a series of strikes against the jihadists in the area, the Russian Defense Ministry has announced."On January 30, six Tu-22M3 long-range bombers of the Russian Aerospace Forces took off from an airfield located in the territory of the Russian Federation, flew over territories of Iraq and Iran, and carried out an airstrike on ISIS terrorists' targets in the Deir ez-Zor province of the Syrian Arab Republic," the Defense Ministry said in a statement.The precision strikes targeted and destroyed two Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) command centers, weapons and ammunition depots in addition to jihadist manpower, according to the statement. Sukhoi-30SM and Sukhoi-35S fighter jets from the Khmeimim air base provided protection for the Russian bombers.The strikes against the designated targets were confirmed by "impartial monitoring" means. Upon completion of their mission all Russian planes returned to bases safely, the Defense Ministry said.Following the liberation of Aleppo in December, Syrian government forces are now focusing their efforts in expelling terrorists from the city of Deir ez-Zor, that has been under IS control since July 2014.Most of the city and its countryside is under the IS terrorists' sway, but government troops are still holding out in several neighborhoods in the western part of the city and command the military airport.Deir ez-Zor's military airport, controlled by elite units from the Syrian Republican Guard, has withstood repeated assaults by IS over the years. Last week, IS extremists encircled the military airfield threatening to capture the last line of defense of the Syrian army.Now the Syrian army and the National Defense Forces (NDF), backed by Russian warplanes, have been focusing on repelling a large-scale attack launched by the terrorists in the oil-rich province.Government forces continued to battle terrorist positions on Monday on the southern outskirts of the city, inflicting massive damage, Sana reports . Besides Russian air power, the Syrian air force has also targeted IS positions in the area.The Province of Deir ez-Zor is of strategic importance for IS because it serves as the backbone of the country's petroleum extraction industry. The province also links IS terrorist units to the group's Iraqi capital of Raqqa. </s> Two Russian soldiers killed by shelling in Syria's Deir al-Zor province

Two Russian servicemen have been killed in Deir al-Zor province after Islamic State militants shelled a convoy they were escorting, the Russian Defence Ministry was cited as saying on Monday by the Interfax news agency, Reuters reported.

The convoy was transporting Russian ceasefire monitoring military staff when it came under mortar attack, the ministry was quoted as saying.

One soldier was killed on the spot and the other died in hospital after sustaining serious injuries. Both were awarded posthumous military awards, the ministry said.

Russia said earlier on Monday that its air force was helping the Syrian army push ahead with an offensive on the Euphrates city of Deir al-Zor, where Islamic State has besieged 93,000 civilians and an army garrison for years. </s> MOSCOW, Sept 4 (Reuters) - Two Russian servicemen have been killed in Deir al-Zor province after Islamic State militants shelled a convoy they were escorting, the Russian Defence Ministry was cited as saying on Monday by the Interfax news agency.

The convoy was transporting Russian ceasefire monitoring military staff when it came under mortar attack, the ministry was quoted as saying.

One soldier was killed on the spot and the other died in hospital after sustaining serious injuries. Both were awarded posthumous military awards, the ministry said.

Russia said earlier on Monday that its air force was helping the Syrian army push ahead with an offensive on the Euphrates city of Deir al-Zor, where Islamic State has besieged 93,000 civilians and an army garrison for years. (Reporting by Andrew Osborn; Editing by Alison Williams) </s> Russian bombers launched a third day of air strikes against militants in Syria from an Iranian air base, the Russian defence ministry said on Thursday.

The ministry said Tu-22M3 long-range bombers and Su-34 fighter bombers struck Islamic State targets in the Syrian province of Deir al-Zor.

It said the military aircraft had taken off from bases in both Russia and Iran and destroyed six command posts and a large number of fighters and military equipment.

All the Russian planes returned to base after the strikes, the defence ministry said. </s> Two Russian soldiers reported killed by shelling in Syria

Image from video released by Russia's Defence Ministry on September 1, 2017 shows missiles hitting vehicles said to be Islamic State targets on a road in Deir al-Zor province, Syria. — Russian Defence Ministry handout via ReutersMOSCOW, Sept 5 — Two Russian servicemen have been killed in Deir al-Zor province after Islamic State militants shelled a convoy they were escorting, the Russian Defence Ministry was cited as saying yesterday by the Interfax news agency.

The convoy was transporting Russian ceasefire monitoring military staff when it came under mortar attack, the ministry was quoted as saying.

One soldier was killed on the spot and the other died in hospital after sustaining serious injuries. Both were awarded posthumous military awards, the ministry said.

Russia said earlier yesterday that its air force was helping the Syrian army push ahead with an offensive on the Euphrates city of Deir al-Zor, where Islamic State has besieged 93,000 civilians and an army garrison for years. — Reuters
The Russian Defence Ministry says six Russian bombers hit ISIL positions in Syria's Deir ez-Zor Governorate.