Russian air force continues pounding "terrorists" in Syria - agencies

A truck loads a pallet with humanitarian aid into a Russian air force cargo plane at the Hmeymim air base near Latakia, Syria, in this still image taken from video footage released by Russia's Defence Ministry on January 15, 2016. REUTERS/Russian Defence Ministry/Handout via Reuters

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's air force has carried out 468 sorties in Syria over the past week, hitting more than 1,300 "terrorist" targets, Russian news agencies quoted Russia's Defence Ministry as saying on Monday. The Defence Ministry also delivered more than 200 tonnes of humanitarian aid to the besieged Syrian town of Deir al-Zor in January, agencies quoted it as saying. Russia is strengthening all types of reconnaissance in the Middle East to better locate terrorist targets and hit them faster, Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov was quoted as saying. (Reporting by Alexander Winning; Writing by Dmitry Solovyov)