Three Russian soldiers killed

BEIRUT: Three Russian soldiers have been killed in Syria during fighting between Islamic State group terrorists and Moscow-backed government forces, a monitor said on Wednesday. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the soldiers were killed on Monday near the eastern city of Deir Ezzor. On Monday Syrian government troops came close to encircling Islamic State fighters in a pocket of the city after crossing the adjacent Euphrates River to reach the eastern flank, Russia’s defence ministry said.