Syria: Russia says 180 Islamic State fighters including to commanders killed

Russia said Saturday that airstrikes carried out this month had killed about 180 Islamic State jihadists in Syria, including two field commanders.

Russia said Saturday that airstrikes carried out this month had killed about 180 Islamic State jihadists in Syria, including two field commanders.

The ministry said that around 180 fighters were killed, and that 16 military vehicles were destroyed along with weapons stores. (File Photo)

“As a result of June 6 and 8 aerial strikes on targets belonging to IS fighters, IS field commanders Abu Omar al-Belgiki and Abu Yasin al-Masri were killed” in Deir Ezzor, a province held mostly by IS forces, the defence ministry said in a statement carried by the Interfax news agency.

The ministry said that around 180 fighters were killed, and that 16 military vehicles were destroyed along with weapons stores.

It said the strikes took place after Russian forces using drones spotted preparations by IS fighters to break through the defences of a garrison held by Syrian government forces in the city of Deir Ezzor.

The defence ministry did not make any mention of the possible death of Islamic State chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, after saying Friday that it was seeking to verify whether he had been killed in a night raid in Syria last month.