MOSCOW. Aug 18 (Interfax) - Syrian government forces backed by Russian combat aircraft are carrying out an operation to encircle a large group of terrorists from Islamic State (ISIL, banned in Russia) near the town of Uqayribat in the country's Hama governorate, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday.
"In order to stop ISIL militants from fleeing the encirclement toward Deir-ez-Zor, planes of the Russian Aerospace Forces are conducting round-the-clock aerial reconnaissance with the use of drones, detecting and destroying terrorists' armored hardware, pick-up trucks with heavy weapons and vehicles," the ministry said.
Syrian government forces backed by the Russian Aerospace Forces have taken full control of heights in the vicinity of Uqayribat - near the populated localities of Khsaiya and Al-Sawannet - in the past few days, it said.
These successful actions of the Syrian army have allowed it to target the last remaining route for providing militants with weapons, ammunition and other supplies near Uqayribat, it said.
The Russian military has reported that terrorists are trying to break out of the encirclement near Uqayribat toward the city of Deir-ez-Zor in small groups using vehicles and armored hardware.
Deir-ez-Zor remains ISIL's last major stronghold in Syria after ISIL militants were driven out of Iraq's Mosul, the Defense Ministry said.
The Russian Defense Ministry said earlier that the Syrian town of al-Sukhna had been liberated from militants. The counter-ISIL operation in al-Sukhna involved Russian combat airplanes and Syrian government forces.
"The liberation of al-Sukhna from ISIL terrorists opens up opportunities for Syrian government forces to mount an offensive and break the siege of the city of Deir-ez-Zor," the ministry said on August 13.
Deir-ez-Zor has been under ISIL siege for the past few years.