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MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia is to send 175 de-mining engineers to defuse mines in Syria’s Deir al-Zor, Interfax news agency quoted Russia’s Defence Ministry as saying on Monday.

The first detachment of 40 de-miners has already been deployed to Russia’s Hmeimim air base in Syria, the ministry said.

Syrian government forces and U.S.-backed militias converged on Islamic State in separate offensives against the militants in the eastern Syrian province of Deir al-Zor on Sunday.