MOSCOW, November 3. /TASS/. Six Russian Tupolev-22M3 bombers and The Kolpino submarine have carried out a massive strike against militants of the Islamic State (terrorist group outlawed in Russia) in Syria, Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said on Friday.

"Long-range bombers Tupolev-22 and the submarine The Kolpino have dealt a massive missile and air strike against the infrastructure and militants of the Islamic State near Abu Kamal. Six strategic bombers Tupolev-22 and six submarine-launched cruise missiles Kalibr hit terrorists’ fortifications, weapons and ammunition depots, manpower and command centers," he said.

Konashenkov described the losses suffered by a major Islamic State group near Abu Kamal as very heavy.

"This enabled General Hassan Suheil’s assault forces to launch active offensive operations with the aim to wipe out the Islamic State’s last stronghold in the east of Syria," Konashenkov said.

The submarine The Kolpino launched the Kalibr missiles from a submerged position at a distance of more than 650 kilometers. Participating in the missile and air strike were Sukhoi-24 and Sukhoi-34 bombers from the Khmeymim air base. The Sukhoi-30SM, Sukhoi-35 and MiG-29 fighters of the Russian Aerospace Group in Syria provided protection for the operation.

As he reviewed the statistics of air strikes made over the past three days Konashenkov said that Tupolev-22 bombers hit Islamic State terrorists in the east of Syria eighteen times. The submarines The Veliki Novgorod and The Kolpino, currently in the Mediterranean, launched nine cruise missiles Kalibr.