The Russian Federation’s ministry of defense said it had killed “up to 200 militants” in Syria during airstrikes on a “terrorist” base camp northeast of Palmyra, where militants were planning attacks ahead of presidential elections next month in Syria.

The ministry of defense said in a statement that,

“After confirming data through multiple channels on the location of terrorist facilities, Russian Aerospace Forces aircraft carried out airstrikes,”

“Two hideouts were destroyed, up to 200 militants, 24 pickup trucks with large-caliber machine guns, as well as about 500 kilograms (1,100 pounds) of ammunition and components for creating improvised explosive devices,” it added.

This statement by the ministry of defense neither specified the date of the airstrikes nor the group which targeted by them. It just only told the target was on a terrorists groups.

These militants were planning to attack the government agencies and large cities in order to destabilize the situation before the presidential elections in Syria.

Earlier, Russia expelled 20 Czech diplomats in response to Paraguay’s expulsion of several diplomats and giving them just 24 hours to leave the country.

According to the reports, the Czech Republic had expelled 18 Russian diplomats a day earlier, saying that two Russian spies were behind a deadly explosion at a Czech arms depot four years ago.

The spies are also accused of Salisbury poisonings targeting the former GRU officer Sergei Skripal in 2018.

In Moscow, the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned a Czech diplomat for expelling 18 Russian diplomats from Paraguay.

The United States and Poland have expressed solidarity with the Czech Republic’s decision to expel Russian diplomats and blamed Moscow for the 2014 bombing of a Czech arms depot.

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