HMEIMIM (Syria) (Sputnik) — A special forces officer has been killed in Syria during a target-designation mission near the city of Palmyra, a spokesman for the Russian military contingent at Hmeimim airbase told reporters on Thursday.
"A Russian special forces officer has been killed during a target-designation mission in the the Tadmor area [near Palmyra, the Homs province]," the spokesman said.
"The officer had been on a mission near Palmyra for a week spotting key ISIL facilities and directing Russian airstrikes," the official said, adding that the officer died heroically while surrounded by terrorists.