Russian strikes kill 120 Islamic State fighters, 60 mercenaries in Syria

Some 120 Islamic State fighters and 60 foreign mercenaries were killed in a series of Russian air strikes in Syria over the past 24 hours, the defence ministry in Moscow said today.

Puzzlingly, the ministry also said three senior IS commanders including Omar al-Shishani had been confirmed dead as a result of an earlier Russian strike.

Moscow reported al-Shishani's death despite the fact that the Pentagon said in 2016 the notorious fighter had been killed by American troops in Iraq.

"A command post of the terrorists and up to 80 (IS) fighters including nine natives of the Northern Caucasus were destroyed in the area of Mayadeen," the ministry said, adding that another 40 IS fighters were killed around the town of Albu Kamal.

Mayadeen is one of the Islamic State group's last bastions in Syria.

In another air strike, more than 60 foreign mercenaries from the former Soviet Union, Tunisia, and Egypt were killed in the Euphrates Valley south of Deir Ezzor.

The ministry said "large numbers of foreign mercenaries" were coming into the Syrian border town of Albu Kamal from Iraq.
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