The Russian military says it has killed militants it holds responsible for an attack on its air base in Syria.
In a statement on January 12, the Russian Defense Ministry said an unspecified number of militants had been tracked down by drones and targeted as they boarded a minibus in Idlib Province.
The Defense Ministry also said a militant facility for assembling drones in Idlib had been destroyed as well.
Two Russian servicemen were reported killed in the mortar shelling of the Hmeimim air base on December 31.
The Kremlin denied any of its aircraft were damaged in the attack, but the Russian business daily Kommersant said seven warplanes were damaged beyond repair.
Last weekend, militants launched a drone attack on Hmeimim as well as a Russian naval base at Tartus.
The Russian military repelled the attack that was reported to involve 13 drones.
The mortar shelling and drone attack came just weeks after Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a victory in Syria and ordered a partial troop withdrawal from the country.
Russia launched its campaign in Syria in support of its ally President Bashar al-Assad in September 2015.
