Russia on Wednesday pulled some 30 aircraft out of Syria, including all 25 Su-25 fighter jets, while its air force continues airstrikes in the country, the Defence Ministry said.
Over the past four days, the Russian Aerospace Forces have conducted 87 sorties to deliver strikes against Islamic State facilities in the Syrian provinces of Al Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor, ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov was quoted by the RIA Novosti news agency as saying.
Russia started airstrikes in Syria in September 2015 at the request of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
It began to withdraw the main part of its forces in March 2016, as intra-Syrian talks aimed at reaching a political settlement in the war-torn country began in Geneva, Switzerland.
--IANS
ahm/dg
