Russia kills 60 militants in Deir ez-Zor, where ISIS massacred hundreds of civilians

The Russian Air Force in Syria has eliminated 60 Islamic State militants in eastern Deir ez-Zor province, the Defense Ministry reported. Several days ago mass execution of civilians were reported there.

“The Russian Su-34 bombers have struck terrorist strongholds near the village of Bagilya in the Deir ez-Zor province where Islamic State [IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) have recently executed 300 civilian from the local population for the sake of intimidation,” Defense Ministry spokesman Major-General Igor Konashenkov said.

Over the weekend, Islamic State jihadists have reportedly slaughtered up to 300 people in the Deir ez-Zor province, killing “whole families” for alleged cooperation with the Syrian Army.

The airstrikes also destroyed three trucks with ammunition, two SUVs with mounted Zu-23 anti-aircraft cannons, he said.

Konashenkov said the Russian Air Force is continuing its operation “to deliver food and essential items to areas blocked by terrorists” in Syria.

On Monday, over 40 tons of humanitarian aid from Russian Defense Ministry and Syrian government was parachuted to the encircled city of Deir ez-Zor and other areas, he said.

"According to the reports received by the Syrian leadership from the settlements where the humanitarian aid was delivered, all the cargo has been received and is now being passed to the residents,” he stressed.

Over the last four days, Russian warplanes have carried out 157 sorties and struck 579 terrorist targets in the Syrian provinces of Aleppo, Deir ez-Zor, Homs, Hama, Latakia and Raqqa, Konashenkov said.

Around 20 jihadists and three SUVs with heavy machineguns were destroyed in an airstrike by Su-24 bombers on IS strongholds in Latakia, he added.

Russian Su-25s eliminated an IS field camp in Homs province, based on information received from the Syrian opposition, the spokesman said.

"A few days ago, one of the units of the [anti-terroist] opposition received information about the location of the Islamic State field camp near the village of Kissin in the Homs province,” he said.

The air strike against the target was carried out after the information was verified via surveillance drones and the anti-terrorist information center in Baghdad.

"The command of the Russian Air Force continues its cooperation with the units of the [anti-terrorist] opposition in Syria, which are fighting Islamic State, Jabhat Al-Nusra and other terror groups,” Konashenkov said.

Russia is also continuing to target the illegal oil trade, which is the main source of income for the terrorists, the MoD spokesman said.

“Russian war planes have destroyed a large warehouse of combustive-lubricating materials and an oil pumping station in the province of Raqqa,” he said.

In Aleppo province, air surveillance discovered a column of trucks carrying smuggled oil towards the Turkish border.

Twenty-three oil tankers were destroyed in an airstrike by Russian Su-24 bombers, Konashenkov added.

Russia has been bombing IS and other terror groups in Syria since September 30, 2015, at the official request of President Bashar Assad.