US-backed Syrian rebels down regime warplane
US-backed Syrian rebels down regime warplane
Opposition activists say US-backed Syrian rebels have shot down a government warplane in the southeast, with the fate of the pilot still unknown.
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The warplane was Russian-made and a search is underway for the pilot [Getty]
US-backed Syrian rebels shot down a regime warplane in the southeastern suburb of Rif Dimashq, with the fate of the pilot still unknown, opposition activists said on Monday.
The "Jaish Usud" rebel group shot down the warplane in eastern Syria, causing it to crash in an area called Tel Dakweh, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
"The warplane crashed and the fate of the pilot is not known," the Observatory said, adding that it was unclear whether the pilot landed safely or was killed in the attack.
Mozahem al-Salloum, of the activist-run Hammurabi Justice News network, said the warplane was a Russian-made MiG and that a search is underway for the pilot.
The rebels had been engaged in clashes with regime forces for days before the downing of the plane.
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