"During the search at the site of the fight with terrorists, the Syrian forces found modern radio-electronic equipment manufactured in Europe, ammunition for light weapons and Daesh literature," the statement issued by the Russian Ministry of Defense said.
The Syrian forces have also found banners and emblems of the oppositional Forces of Martyr Ahmad al-Abdo group, trained by US instructors at the al-Tanf training camp to form 'The New Syrian Army,' the ministry said, adding that thus the US was trying to impede the Syrian peace process by forming a pro-Daesh armed opposition that it would control itself.
"These facts show the involvement of the US in the training and formation of a US-controlled armed opposition created from the defeated pro-Daesh forces," the ministry said.
The ministry noted further, citing refugees who had managed to flee the US-controlled al-Tanf zone that "the militants were planning a breakthrough operation in the nearest future."
"The main aim of the terrorists is to conduct sabotage operations in the provinces of Damascus, Homs and Deir ez-Zor to draw the attention of the Syrian army that is conducting an operation against al-Nusra in the Idlib province," the ministry said.
READ MORE: Russian General Staff Calls US Explanations on At-Tanf Base 'Unintelligible'
According to the ministry, Syrian military patrol killed five terrorists near al-Tanf deconfliction zone on January 24 and destroyed two gun-equipped vehicles.
"During patrolling the perimeter of the deconfliction zone in the At-Tanf area on January 24, Syrian military patrol detected a convoy of three vehicles belonging to militants and equipped with guns… as a result of the fight two vehicles were destroyed and five terrorists killed," the statement read.
