Russia has deployed long-range bombers to an air base in the Iranian city of Hamadan to carry out air strikes against militants in Syria, the Russian government said on Tuesday.

“On 16 August, Tu-22M3 long-range bombers and Su-34 frontline bombers, flying with a full bomb load from the Hamadan air base (Islamic Republic of Iran), conducted a group air strike against targets of the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist groups in the provinces of Aleppo, Deir Ezzor and Idlib,” the defence ministry statement said.

The Rossiya 24 channel broadcast uncapationed images of at least three bombers and a Russian military transport plane, though it was unclear where and when the footage had been shot.

The Tupolev-22 is a Cold War-era strategic bomber first in service in the 1960s as part of Russia’s nuclear forces. It has been upgraded several times in its service life.

The Sukhoi-34 fighter bomber has previously flown sorties over Syria from the Russian airbase in Latakia.

Source: middleeasteye.net