Russia says 3 of its soldiers killed in Syria

MOSCOW – The Russian military says three of its servicemen have been killed in an ambush in Syria.

The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement Monday that the three soldiers died when militants ambushed their vehicle in late February in the eastern province of Deir el-Zour.

The ministry says the military tracked down a group of more than 30 militants involved in the ambush and "destroyed" them in a joint operation by the Russian air force and a special operations unit. It did not say when the raid took place.

The report brings the number of Russian soldiers killed in Syria to 115, according to official data. Russia intervened in Syria starting in 2015, and has helped President Bashar Assad's forces retake large areas of the country.