3 Russian journalists injured in Syria

MOSCOW (AP) - The Russian Defense Ministry says three Russian journalists have been injured while traveling to front-line positions in Syria.

The ministry said on Tuesday that the three journalists on the way to a village in the government-controlled province of Latakia were slightly injured when a missile landed near their car. The ministry says the journalists were taken to a hospital at the Russian military base.

News reports said two of the journalists are from the state-funded RT satellite TV channel and one from the state news agency Tass.

Russia on Sept. 30 began bombing operations against Islamic State militants in Syria at the request of the Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Journalists from Russian state-owned media outlets have been embedded with the Syrian government forces throughout the conflict that began in 2011 and has claimed more than 250,000 lives.

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This story has been corrected to show that Russian airstrikes began Sept. 30, not Sept. 31.