Pro Al-Qaeda terrorists shoot down Russian aircraft in Syria

Saraqib/Moscow: A Russian fighter jet has been shot down in the Idlib province in north Syria by the terrorists belonging to the ‘Tahrir al-sham’ organisation and the pilot was killed in the attack. This is the fifth incident of targeting a Russian jet in the last six years of the Syrian conflict. Thirty terrorists of the concerned organisation were killed in the subsequent Russian attack in the Idlib province.

As per the information published by the Russian as well as the Syrian government, a Sukhoi-25 fighter on a surveillance flight on Saturday afternoon came under a missile attack. The attack took place in the airspace around the Saraqib city in the Idlib province. The plane was destroyed in the attack. Sensing the attack, the pilot ejected. But, while descending with a parachute, he was killed in the terrorist firing. The pilot died in the exchange of fire with the terrorists, said the Russian Defence Ministry.

‘Tahrir al-sham’ the organisation formed by the terrorists separated from the ‘al-Nusra Front’, an affiliate of the ‘al-Qaeda’, has accepted responsibility of the attack. ‘Mahmoud Turkomani’, the commander of this organisation has clarified in a published report that this was an anti-Russia attack. This is the revenge for the actions taken by Russia in Syria, claimed the ‘Tahrir’ commander, ‘Turkomani’. ‘Tahrir’ has said that ‘Turkomani’ is the commander of their air wing.

Russia condemned the ‘Tahrir’ attack in very strong words and conducted air raid in the Idlib province on Sunday morning. The Russian army at the ‘Khmeimim’ airbase, fired missiles towards the Idlib province as per the Russian defence ministry. More than thirty ‘Tahrir’ terrorists were killed in the attack, claimed the Syrian army. There were major explosions reported from the area where the Russian jet was shot down. The locals are criticising that five civilians were killed in the ‘Saraqib’ attacks. There have been complaints of loss of civilian lives in Russian air attacks, previously as well by the locals and the Human Rights Organisations.

Russia and Syria had announced ‘Idlib’ region as a safe zone after the ‘IS’ terrorists were evicted from the area. This was also declared as a ceasefire zone. But, in the last few days, there is an increased domination of the terrorist organisations in this area, claims the Syrian army.

Meanwhile, whether the ‘MANPADS’ (Man-portable air-defence systems), that are shoulder-fired missile systems, were used in the attack, is the question being raised in Russia. How the ‘MANPADS’ reached the Pro al-Qaeda terrorists, is also being questioned. Some of the Russian leaders are holding the US responsible for the attack. Russian leaders are claiming that the ‘MANPADS’ anti-aircraft system, supplied to the Syrian rebels by the US to fight against the Assad regime, fell in the hands of the terrorists. But, the US has dismissed the accusations.