Russian airstrikes wipe out 300 IS militants on Euphrates eastern bank

MOSCOW. KAZINFORM Russia's Aerospace Forces destroyed 304 militants of the Islamic State terrorist group on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River over the past two days, TASS reports with reference to Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Igor Konashenkov.

"Over the past two days, the aircraft of Russia's Aerospace Forces continued destroying the Islamic State group on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River. The confirmed terrorists' casualties in this area were 304 killed and more than 170 wounded. Seven field commanders of different levels were killed, including a native of Kazakhstan, Abu Islyam al-Kazaki, who coordinated the operation of the Islamic State's storming forces in the Euphrates valley," Konashenkov said.

The airstrike also destroyed a training center of the IS foreign mercenaries, including nearly 40 militants from the North Caucasus and also a mobile sniper group of terrorists, he added.

Three terrorists' command posts, nine strongholds, eight tanks, three artillery systems, 17 off-road vehicles with large-caliber weapons (ZU-23 anti-aircraft mounts, B-10 recoilless rifles, DShK heavy machine guns), four ammunition depots were also destroyed.

The successful operation of the Russian Aerospace Forces enables Syrian forces to continue liberating the territory along the Euphrates River from the IS militants, the general said.

Russia's Aerospace Forces have been providing support for the Syrian government forces in Syria in the war on terror since September 30, 2015. As of September 22, since the start of the operation Russian aircraft have carried out more than 30,000 sorties in Syria, delivering 92,000 strikes and destroying nearly 58,000 terrorist groupings.