MOSCOW. April 12 (Interfax) - The Russian Aerospace Forces and the Syrian Special Ops Forces have held a joint exercise in the Syrian province of Hama to train the elimination of terrorists who seized a locality, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
"According to the exercise scenario, the enemy mounted an attack on positions of government forces, seizing a locality and its civilian population," the ministry said.
The command of the Russian contingent and the Syrian army planned a joint offensive to free the locality, it said.
As part of the exercise, Sukhoi Su-24 frontline bombers of the Russian Aerospace Forces and Syrian artillery units hit the mock enemy's facilities, while the 25th Tigers Special Ops Division deployed a tactical airborne team to the operation zone, the ministry said.
Syrian special forces troops and their weapons were airdropped with Russian-made Arbalet-2 parachutes from altitudes of 1,500 to 3,000 meters and fast-roped from Mil Mi-8AMTSh army helicopters. The troops stormed the locality, eliminating the mock terrorists, the ministry said.