Russian military fires missiles at Daesh positions outside Syria’s Palmyra

The Russian military says it has fired cruise missiles from its warships in the Mediterranean towards Daesh positions outside the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra, inflicting losses on the Takfiri terror group.

In a Wednesday statement, the Defense Ministry said four Kalibr cruise missiles were fired and successfully hit Daesh combat vehicles and terrorists outside Palmyra.

The warships “targeted an area east of Palmyra, where the militants’ heavy weaponry and manpower were located. All targets have been destroyed.”

The statement added that the missile strikes killed the Daesh militants deployed to the area from Raqqah, the terror group’s main bastion in Syria, without giving a specified number.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu also briefed President Vladimir Putin on the successful launch of missiles.

The US, Turkey and Israel had received warnings in advance of the missile launches, said the statement.

On May 25, the Russian Air Force spotted a large Daesh convoy, comprising 39 vehicles and 120 militants, outside Raqqah and destroyed it before reaching Palmyra.

Palmyra, a UNESCO world heritage, is of strategic importance to Daesh as it is located in the central Homs Province around 225 kilometers from Raqqah.

The control of Palmyra has passed from Syrian government forces to Daesh terrorists and back again a number of times since the Takfiri terror group first captured it in 2015.

In March, Syrian forces, backed by Russian air cover, regained control of the city from Daesh, killing around 1,000 Daesh terrorists in the offensive.

Russia has been conducting a bombing campaign since 2015 in support of the Syrian army’s counterterrorism operations. It has a naval contingent deployed to the eastern Mediterranean to boost its firepower.