Aleppo Syria Militants Terrorist opposition tank
© AFP 2016/ Omar haj kadour
Armed groups in Syria have been receiving weapons from abroad, the Russian defense minister said.

Syria's armed opposition and groups of mercenaries have been supplied with arms and ammunition from abroad throughout the duration of the war in Syria, Russian Defense Minister, Army Gen. Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday.

"The war in Syria continues for almost six years. All this time, armed opposition groups and groups of mercenaries have been incessantly supplied from abroad with ammunition, armaments and and other material means required to conduct active combat operations," Shoigu said at a youth forum.

He added that illegal armed groups received some 2,450 man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS), about 650 multiple rocket launchers, over 24,000 mines of various types during the conflicts in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Libya.

Since 2011, Syria has been engulfed in a civil war, with government forces fighting against numerous opposition and terrorist groups, including al-Nusra Front and Daesh, banned in a range of countries, including Russia.

Moscow has been conducting a counter-terrorist campaign in Syria since September 30, 2015, at President Bashar Assad's request.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced in December that the Syrian government and armed opposition groups had reached an agreement on a nationwide ceasefire in Syria and on readiness to start peace talks.