MOSCOW: Russian fighters were among those killed when US-led coalitionforces clashed with pro-government forces in Syria this month, formerassociates of the dead said on Monday.

A US official has said more than 100 fighters aligned with Syrian PresidentBashar al-Assad died when coalition and local coalition-backed forcesthwarted a large attack overnight on Feb. 7.

Russia’s Defence Ministry, which supports Assad’s forces in the Syriancivil war, said at the time that pro-government militias involved in theincident had been carrying out reconnaissance and no Russian servicemen hadbeen in the area.

But at least two Russian men fighting informally with pro-government forceswere killed in the incident in Deir al-Zor province, their associatestold Reuters on Monday.

One of the dead was named as Vladimir Loginov, a Cossack from Russia’sKaliningrad exclave. Maxim Buga, a leader of the Cossack community there,said Loginov had been killed around Feb. 7 along with “dozens” of otherRussian fighters.

The other man killed was named as Kirill Ananiev, described as a radicalRussian nationalist. Alexander Averin, a spokesman for the nationalistparty he was linked to, told Reuters Ananiev had been killed in shelling inthe same fighting on Feb 7.

Reuters was unable to independently confirm either man’s death.

Grigory Yavlinsky, a veteran liberal politician who is running forpresident in elections next month, called on President Vladimir Putin todisclose how many Russians had been killed in Syria and in whatcircumstances.

“If there was large-scale loss of life of Russian citizens, the relevantofficials, including the commander-in-chief of our armed forces (Putin),are obliged to tell the country about it and decide who carriesresponsibility for this,” Yavlinsky said in a statement released by hisYabloko party. – Agencies