Surrounded special forces hero blows up ISIS jihadis after calling in airstrike on HIMSELF

A HERO special forces officer took out a group of murderous Islamic State (ISIS) jihadis who had pinned him down by calling in an airstrike on HIMSELF, it emerged today.

A HERO special forces officer took out a group of murderous Islamic State (ISIS) jihadis who had pinned him down by calling in an airstrike on HIMSELF, it emerged today.

The bloodthirsty Islamists were moving in to capture the stranded soldier following a fierce gunfight when they were surprised by the bombing raid and blown to hell.

It is thought the commando may have belonged to Russia's crack Spetsnaz elite combat unit, which was dispatched to Syria to hunt down and take out fleeing jihadis.

Details of the hero trooper's selfless antics emerged today in a glowing tribute from his senior commander.

It emerged that the man was a Russian special forces commander carrying out vital reconnaissance missions in and around the Syrian city of Palmyra, which ISIS is struggling to defend.

The commando was identifying key terrorist installations in the area and passing their co-ordinates on to Vladimir Putin's jets, which then moved in to obliterate them.

But he was eventually tracked down by ISIS fighters, leading to the extraordinary stand-off which ended in his heroic death.

A Russian military spokesman said: "An officer of Russian special operations forces was killed near Palmyra while carrying out a special task to direct Russian airstrikes at Islamic State group targets.

"The officer was carrying out a combat task in Palmyra area for a week, identifying crucial IS targets and passing exact coordinates for strikes with Russian planes.

"The officer died as a hero, he drew fire onto himself after being located and surrounded by terrorists."

The spokesman did not provide an exact date for the incident, but last week ISIS-linked media claimed that five Russian special forces officers were killed near Palmyra.

The latest revelations come as forces loyal to Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad push further into the city backed by Mr Putin's warplanes.

Palmyra, home to the world-famous UNESCO World Heritage Site Greco-Roman ruins, was captured by ISIS last spring and has been the site of some of the group's most heinous crimes.

Bloodthirsty jihadis have used the ancient Roman theatre to stage sick executions, often carried out by brainwashed children.

Russian jets aided by special forces on the ground have been pounding ISIS from the air, destroying hundreds of jihadi targets in the last few months.

Mr Putin recently shocked the global community when he announced his intention to scale down his military operations in the country, which have been shoring up the crumbling rule of brutal dictator Assad.