Russian aircraft strike fighters' bases in Syria, military official says

Russian aircraft struck two bases operated by fighters in Syria's Idlib province, a Russian official was quoted by news agencies as saying on Thursday, claiming to have killed 20 anti-government militants.

Rear Admiral Vadim Kulit, a senior official at a Russian centre devoted to finding a settlement Syria, where Russian forces have fought for a decade in support of President Bashar al-Assad's government, was quoted as saying the strikes had taken place on Tuesday.

He said the attacks destroyed "two sites serving as bases for fighters taking part in the shelling of Syrian government forces. More than 20 terrorists were liquidated" as he described.

Kulit was also quoted as saying that in the past 24 hours one Syrian government soldier had been killed when government forces came under fire from fighters in Latakia province.