ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Turkish fighter jets shot down a warplane after it reportedly violated the country’s airspace near the Syrian border on Tuesday, according to a Reuters report.
The report contains confirmation from a Turkish military official that the warplane was shot down, but the nationality of the aircraft was not immediately confirmed.
Footage from Turkish media outlets, including Anadolu Agency, appears to show the aircraft crashing in a place known as “Turkmen Mountain” in northern Syria. Two pilots can be seen parachuting from the fiery plane before it crashed.
Russia has been carrying out daily airstrikes in Syria against the Islamic State (ISIS) and in defense of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, raising concerns that Turkey, a NATO member, may have downed a Russian jet.
Reuters, citing Turkish sources, identified the plane as a Russian-built Su-24. The sources said the plane had crossed into Turkish airspace and had been warned to leave 10 times before being shot down by Turkish F-16s.
CNN Turk meanwhile reported that one of the jet's two pilots had been picked up by Turkmen forces in the area, while the whereabouts of a second pilot were still unknown.
A video emerged on social media Tuesday afternoon purporting to show the corpse of one of the pilots. The video depicts what appears to be a dead body on the ground surrounded by militants shouting "Allahu Akbar."
The report contains confirmation from a Turkish military official that the warplane was shot down, but the nationality of the aircraft was not immediately confirmed.
Footage from Turkish media outlets, including Anadolu Agency, appears to show the aircraft crashing in a place known as “Turkmen Mountain” in northern Syria. Two pilots can be seen parachuting from the fiery plane before it crashed.
Russia has been carrying out daily airstrikes in Syria against the Islamic State (ISIS) and in defense of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, raising concerns that Turkey, a NATO member, may have downed a Russian jet.
Reuters, citing Turkish sources, identified the plane as a Russian-built Su-24. The sources said the plane had crossed into Turkish airspace and had been warned to leave 10 times before being shot down by Turkish F-16s.
CNN Turk meanwhile reported that one of the jet's two pilots had been picked up by Turkmen forces in the area, while the whereabouts of a second pilot were still unknown.
A video emerged on social media Tuesday afternoon purporting to show the corpse of one of the pilots. The video depicts what appears to be a dead body on the ground surrounded by militants shouting "Allahu Akbar."
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