MOSCOW: Chechen forces loyal to the Kremlin are on the ground in Syria gathering military intelligence deep inside ISIS-controlled territory which the Russian air force is using to identify bombing targets, Russian state TV has said.
Chechen intelligence agents have also infiltrated the ranks of the militant group, according to Ramzan Kadyrov, the Kremlin-backed leader of Chechnya, who said he had sent undercover agents to train alongside its fighters at the start of the Syrian war.
"According to Ramzan Kadyrov, an extensive spy network has been set up inside Islamic State," said Russian state TV, whose coverage usually reflects the Kremlin line.
The assertions were contained in a teaser for a TV documentary to be broadcast on Wednesday on the state-controlled Russia 24 channel.
Russia launched air strikes in Syria on September 30 and has set up an air base to complement an existing naval facility. It has infantry and armour there to protect its assets and has military trainers and advisers working with the Syrian army.
But state TV, in the teaser which was broadcast on Sunday evening, said the time had now come to talk about the forces who were helping coordinate Russian air strikes in Syria "at the cost of their own lives."
Hundreds of heavily armed men with four-wheel drive vehicles were shown lined up, with one man shown repeatedly firing a pistol as he navigated what looked like a special urban warfare training course.
Kadyrov said in October he wanted to send Chechen servicemen to Syria to take part in "special operations" but would only do so if Putin authorised such a deployment.
Chechen intelligence agents have also infiltrated the ranks of the militant group, according to Ramzan Kadyrov, the Kremlin-backed leader of Chechnya, who said he had sent undercover agents to train alongside its fighters at the start of the Syrian war.
"According to Ramzan Kadyrov, an extensive spy network has been set up inside Islamic State," said Russian state TV, whose coverage usually reflects the Kremlin line.
The assertions were contained in a teaser for a TV documentary to be broadcast on Wednesday on the state-controlled Russia 24 channel.
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Russia launched air strikes in Syria on September 30 and has set up an air base to complement an existing naval facility. It has infantry and armour there to protect its assets and has military trainers and advisers working with the Syrian army.
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But state TV, in the teaser which was broadcast on Sunday evening, said the time had now come to talk about the forces who were helping coordinate Russian air strikes in Syria "at the cost of their own lives."
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Hundreds of heavily armed men with four-wheel drive vehicles were shown lined up, with one man shown repeatedly firing a pistol as he navigated what looked like a special urban warfare training course.
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Kadyrov said in October he wanted to send Chechen servicemen to Syria to take part in "special operations" but would only do so if Putin authorised such a deployment.
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© Thomson Reuters 2016
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