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Fight against Islamic state

Russian Tu-22M3 bombers flew 60 sorties in 4 days against Islamic State targets in Syria

Strikes have been delivered at 42 terrorist targets

Tupolev Tu-22M3 bomber Alexander Ryumin/TASS

Tupolev Tu-22M3 bomber

© Alexander Ryumin/TASS

MOSCOW, November 20. /TASS/. Russian long-rage aviation aircraft Tu-22M3 have flown 60 sorties against Islamic State targets in Syria in the past four days, commander of the air group Vladimir Alesenko said on Friday.

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"The air group has flown a total of 60 sorties. Strikes have been delivered at 42 terrorist targets," he reported to Russian President and Supreme Commander-in-Chief Vladimir Putin.

According to Alesenko, the Mozdok-based reinforced squadron of Tu-22M3 long-range bombers is delivering group air strikes at Islamic State targets in the Syrian provinces of Raqqah and Dei ez-Zor.

"The targets are located at a distance of more than 2,000 kilometers from the aerodrome, the duration of each sortie exceeds five hours. The crews fly two sorties a day, including one in the nighttime," he noted.

He said Russian warplanes were tasked to destroy manpower and military hardware of terrorists at places of their concentration, their command centers, munitions and weapons depots, weapons workshops and plants and other infrastructure facilities.

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IS leaders fleeing Raqqa under Russian bombs — media

"The air group has accomplished all tasks. The twelve long-range Tu-22M3 bombers have returned to their home aerodrome to be prepared for further missions," Alesemko added.

Russian airstrikes against the Islamic State terrorist group in Syria started on September 30. Russia intensified its airstrikes against the terrorists after it was reported that the crash of the Russian A321 plane in Egypt was caused by a terrorist bomb exploding on board. Russia has involved long-range aviation in its air strikes and has enforced the air grouping deployed in Syria. Russia's air grouping involves 69 aircraft, including Su-34 bombers, Su-24M and Su-25 attack aircraft, Su-30SM and Su-27SM3 fighters and Mi-8 and Mi-24 helicopters.

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Russia’s long-range strategic bombers in action over Syria

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