MOSCOW—A Russian military adviser has been killed by mortar fire in Syria, the Russian Defense Ministry said Wednesday.
The ministry said the officer was fatally wounded Monday by mortar shelling from the Islamic State (ISIS). Its statement, carried by Russian news agencies, said the officer was helping train the Syrian military in using Russian weapons. It said the officer will be posthumously awarded with a medal, but didn’t identify him or specify where he died.
The officer’s death is the third combat casualty the Russian military has suffered since it launched its air campaign in Syria four months ago.
A Russian pilot whose warplane was downed by a Turkish fighter at the Syrian border was shot dead by militants as he descended by parachute on Nov. 24. His crewmate survived and was evacuated to safety, but a Russian marine was killed in action during the rescue mission.
Moscow says its air campaign has targeted ISIS and other extremists and rejects claims by the U.S. and its allies that moderate opposition groups also have been hit by Russian strikes.
