2 Russian servicemen killed in Syria: agencies

Russia's defence ministry today said that two soldiers acting as military instructors to government troops in Syria had been killed by rebel forces.

"Russian professional servicemen who were in a unit of Syrian forces as instructors... Came under a mortar attack from a group of rebel fighters," the defence ministry said in a statement quoted by Interfax news agency.

"As a result of a mortar explosion, two Russian servicemen died.