Russia destroys ISIS arms stores around east Syria

Six long-range bombers from Russia on Sunday destroyed ISIS weapon stores around the extremist stronghold of Deir al-Zor in eastern Syria, the defense ministry in Moscow said.

The ministry said in a statement that the Russian Tupolev bombers carried out raids to the southwest, east and northeast of the city, wiping out two command posts, six arms depots, ISIS vehicles and “a large number of fighters.”

ISIS controls large parts of Deir al-Zor city and most of oil-rich Deir al-Zor province in the east of the country, and has battled Syrian regime forces for control of a key military airbase there.

Russia has been flying a bombing campaign in support of long-time ally President Bashar Al-Assad since September that has helped shore up the strongman’s crumbling forces.

A still image, taken from video footage and released by Russia’s Defence Ministry on August 11, 2016, shows airstrikes carried out by Russian Tupolev Tu-22M3 long-range strategic bombers and hitting infrastructure controlled by ISIS militants according to the ministry, at an unknown location in Syria. (Reuters)

ISIS militants were on Friday forced out of the city of Manbij near the Turkish border by a US-backed Arab-Kurdish alliance in a blow the Pentagon said showed the extremists were “on the ropes.”

Russian-backed government forces are also battling other rebels groups in fierce fighting for the country’s second city of Aleppo, a fortnight on from the launch of a major rebel offensive.

al-Arabiya