Three Russian servicemen killed in Syria

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Three Russian servicemen were killed in eastern Syria in a militant attack late February, the Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.

The Russian troops were returning back to their base after delivering humanitarian aid to a village in the city of Deir ez-Zor.

They were caught in an ambush and later went missing.

The group, involved in the attack, was found and destroyed, a statement by the ministry said.

The bodies of Russian soldiers were delivered to their country, it added.

Russia launched a military operation in Syria in September 2015.

In December 2017, the main military group withdrew, currently only a limited military contingent is deployed at the Hmeimin airbase and the naval base in Tartus.