Damascus/Moscow: A Russian made ‘AN-26’ transport aircraft crashed at ‘Hmeymim’ airport in north-western Syria killing 39 people, which includes military officers. Within a short time of the crash, Russia announced that the crash was due to technical snag, dismissing the possibility of an attack on the aircraft.
According to the Russian government news agency, the accident took place when the ‘An-26’ aircraft was landing at the Hmeymim airbase, on Tuesday in the evening. The pilot erred in judging the airstrip co-ordinates and lost control of the aircraft, claimed the Russian army, as stated by the news agency. There were 33 passengers and six officers on the flight. The Russian army has not revealed the identity of the pilot.
The Russian army is conducting a detailed investigation of the crash. The preliminary investigation revealed the crash was caused due to a technical snag, claimed the Russian army. The Russian army also clarified that there was no attack on the aircraft. The Russian media have said that a Russian military unit has reached the location for further investigation and we will soon receive more information about the incident.
This is the second incident of crash, of a Russian aircraft, in two months, in Syria. In the month of February, a Russian fighter jet crashed in Idlib in northern Syria. The terrorists in Syria had claimed to have shot the jet down. Initially Russia claimed that the crash was due to technical fault but after the terrorists published the photographs of the jet Russia accepted the terrorists’ claim. Subsequently Russia carried out severe attacks on Idlib.
Incidentally, Hmeymim is the largest Russian airbase in Syria. There are Russian fighters, bomber, stealth and transport aircrafts and ‘S-400’ missile defence system is deployed there.
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