MOSCOW: Russia is to send 175 de-mining engineers to defuse mines in Syria’s Deir Ezzor, Interfax news agency quoted Russia’s Defense Ministry as saying on Monday.

The first detachment of 40 de-miners has already been deployed to Russia’s Hmeimim air base in Syria, the ministry said.

Syrian government forces and US-backed militias converged on Islamic State in separate offensives against the militants in the eastern Syrian province of Deir Ezzor on Sunday.