Russia announces elimination of opposition fighters trained by US Special Forces in Syria

The Russian Defence Ministry announced on Friday that its air forces had “eliminated” a group of opposition fighters trained by the US in Syria on 4 August.

The ministry’s statement read: “On 4 August, after the routine reconnaissance operations, Russian fighters eliminated a group of militants from the Martyrs Brigade terrorist group, which was hiding in equipped shelters in the desert. This group of militants is based in the eastern region of Tanf, and its members are being supplied and trained by trainers from the US Army Special Forces.”

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The ministry noted that these militants had committed terrorist acts and killed civilians in the Badia area.

Moscow has helped its ally, Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, to turn the tide of the civil war that has lasted over a decade in his favour to confront rebels, some of whom are backed by the US or Turkiye.

Last March, Russian foreign intelligence confirmed that the US-controlled Al-Tanf base in Syria had witnessed the preparation of terrorists to be deployed to Donbas.