Syrian militants claim responsibilityfor downing Russian jet and killing pilot after he opened fire on troops

Jet: The pilot was killed
AFP/Getty Images
Chloe Chaplain3 February 2018

Al-Qaida-linked militants have claimed responsibility for shooting down a Russian fighter jet and killing its pilot after he ejected from the plane and landed on the ground.

The pilot resisted being captured and fired at the militants who then shot and killed him, according to one of the militants and Syrian monitors.

The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed the downing of the Su-25 and said the pilot was killed in fighting with "terrorists."

A report on the ministry's Zvezda TV said preliminary information indicated the plane was shot by a portable ground-to-air missile in an area under control of al-Qaida's branch in Syria.

Jet: Smoke billowed from the site of a downed Sukhoi-25 fighter jet in the the Syrian city of Saraqib
AFP/Getty Images

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the plane was downed near the rebel-held town of Saraqeb, which Syrian troops have been trying to take under the cover of Russian airstrikes.

Russia is a key ally of President Bashar Assad, and has been waging a military campaign on behalf of his forces since 2015.

Crash: Fires caused by Russian military plane shot down
REUTERS

A Syrian militant in the area told The Associated Press that the Russian pilot was shot and killed when he resisted capture.

The pilot opened fire from his pistol as the militants were trying to seize him, said the militant, who refused to be identified by his real name because was not authorized to speak to the media.

The pilot who ejected from his fighter jet after it was shot down
AP

A video circulating on social media shows a lifeless body of a man, his face stained with blood, as bearded gunmen stand around him.

The Ibaa News Agency said Russian and Syrian warplanes and helicopter gunships have been pounding Saraqeb and the village of Tel Mardeekh in Idlib since the early hours of Saturday.

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