Six Russian Tu-22M3 bombers carried out on Monday airstrikes against new IS targets in Syria's Deir ez-Zor province destroying two command posts, arms depots, a large number of military equipment and terrorists, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

"On January 30, 2017, six strategic Tu-22M3 bombers took off in Russia, flew over Iraq and Iran, and carried out a group air attack on new IS targets in the Deir ez-Zor province," it reads.

"The destruction of all designated targets has been confirmed by the means of objective monitoring," the ministry said.

"Su-30SM and Su-35S fighters, which had taken off from the Hmeymim airbase in Syria, provided air cover for the bombers," it added.

The Russian aircraft safely returned to their home bases after the mission.

IS terrorists surrounded the Deir ez-Zor military airfield in Syria's northeast.
Commenting on the development of the situation in the area, the Russian General Staff said that if terrorists capture Deir ez-Zor, civilians will be subjected to genocide and the population may be completely exterminated.

The city of Deir ez-Zor, which is still held by Syrian government forces, has been under IS's siege since July 2014. The residents of Deir ez-Zor and the servicemen receive food only via planes delivering humanitarian aid.