The Russian Aerospace Forces have destroyed an ISIL command center in Syria’s Deir Ezzor province and killed some 34 terrorists who entered the country from Iraq’s western regions, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

The Russian aircraft carried out 182 airstrikes against the positions of ISIL terrorists in Syria in the past 24 hours, the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. A total of 70 ISIL terrorists, who were later identified as nationals of CIS states and Algeria, were eliminated, according to Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov.

The airstrikes were carried out after reconnaissance drones had discovered a large stronghold of ISIL terrorists on the eastern bank of the Euphrates river near the city of Mayadeen. The terrorists had an artillery and tank projectiles depot, as well as a ramified network of underground tunnels there.

“A ISIL command post and three groups of terrorists who arrived in the area from the territory of Iraq as a reinforcement were destroyed. The elimination of 34 militants, the destruction of 5 SUVs with large-caliber weapons, as well as 2 vehicles with ammunition has been confirmed,” Russian Konashenkov stated, commenting on one of the airstrikes near the village of Hatla in the province.

The spokesman went on by saying that a Russian Sukhoi Su-34 jet hit the same area 40 minutes later when ISIL militants arrived at the scene to evacuate wounded terrorists. As the result of that strike, 20 more militants were eliminated.

Source: Sputnik