MOSCOW. Jan 18 (Interfax-AVN) - The coalition grouping led by the United States is effectively squeezing ISIL militants from the Iraqi town of Mosul into the eastern part of Syria, Lieut. Gen. Sergei Rudskoi, head of the Main Operative Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces General Staff, said.
"The actions of the coalition group led by the U.S., near the Iraqi town of Mosul, largely came down to squeezing out into the eastern part of Syria of substantial ISIL forces which have been redeploying, almost uninhibited, explosives and live force towards Palmyra, Deir Ez-Zor and the al-Bab on the border with Turkey," Rudskoi said at a briefing on Wednesday.
Moreover, information was obtained and confirmed by several sources "about a large number of explosives having been redeployed into the Palmyra area for the purpose of ISIL terrorists destroying the world historical heritage site in the city," he said.
"Currently, government troops in the Palmyra area, supported by the Russian Aerospace Forces, are conducting an offensive operation against militants from ISIL [a terrorist organization banned in Russia]," Rudskoi said.