Russia's defense ministry says its submarine in the Mediterranean Sea has fired cruise missiles at militant positions in northwestern Syria.

The Russia military said the missiles strikes from the Veliky Novgorod submarine earlier on Friday targeted militants, ammunition depots and fortifications in Syria's Idlib province, which is dominated by the al-Qaida-linked Levant Liberation Committee.

Moscow says the Kalibr missiles destroyed command centers and a training base of the militants who had attacked members of the Russian military police in Hama province earlier this week.

Three Russians were wounded after al-Qaida-linked militants surrounded 29 Russian military officers deployed outside of Idlib and kept attacking them for several hours.

According to the Russian defense ministry, the Russian troops repelled the attack with the help of local tribes.