Russia's Defense Ministry said on Friday, October 18, its planes had struck the headquarters of the Liwa al-Haqq militant group in Syria, killing 200 insurgents, including two Islamic State field commanders, the RIA news agency reported, according to Reuters.

In separate attacks in the Aleppo region, the ministry said its planes had killed a further 100 insurgents.

Russia carried out its first airstrikes in Syria on September 30, in what President Vladimir Putin called a pre-emptive strike against the militants. Twenty airstrikes destroyed a command center of Islamic State militants as well as ammunition depots, the defense ministry said.