MOSCOW - Syrian government forces backed by Russian warplanes have eliminated the last major resistance center of the Islamic State (IS) in the Western-central province of Hama, the Russian Defense Ministry said Saturday.

With the support of the Russian air force, the Syrian government troops launched an offensive against IS terrorists at the strategically important town of Akerbat in the eastern part of Hama and liberated the town, the ministry said in a statement.

Russian aircraft destroyed the terrorists' strong points, armored vehicles, artillery fire positions, control posts and communication centers, according to the defense ministry.

Russia has been participating in operations against the IS and other terrorist groups in Syria since September 2015 at the request of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.