ISIS has claimed the killing of five Russian troops in fighting near the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra.
“The soldiers of the caliphate, by the grace of God, have killed five Russian soldiers and six members” of the Syrian army, ISIS said in a statement.
The group also claimed the killing of several members of the Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah group in fighting near Palmyra.
A website linked to ISIS, Aamaq, carried a similar claim, adding that one of the Russians killed was a military adviser.
“Four of the Russian soldiers were killed in Qasr al-Halabat west of Palmyra during an attempt to storm the area that ISIS forces foiled, while the adviser whose corpse was shown in a video distributed by the agency died (Thursday) in the Dawa area,” Aamaq claimed.