Russian Foreign Ministry confirms death of three officers in Syria
The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed that three officers from the Russian contingent in Syria, who were officially reported missing in February 2019, were killed in Syria.
On February 22 in Syria, a car with three Russian servicemen, a major and two colonels, was ambushed by Islamic State militants. For a long time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not confirm the death of the servicemen, claiming that they were simply missing. However, it became known later that the military were probably killed in an attack by the Islamic militants. On March 25, the Russian military department officially confirmed that the officers had died.
"After special investigative activities, the gunmen who attacked the car were identified, and the death of three Russian military servicemen in a shootout in late February was confirmed," the statement of the ministry reads, as quoted by RIA Novosti.
It is noted that the Russians were ambushed when they were returning to the city of Al Mayadeen in the province of Deir ez-Zor.
The Russian Defense Ministry said that the Russian special forces eliminated all the ISIL militants involved in the attack - more than thirty people.