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Russia loses contact with military aircraft over Syria Russia loses contact with military aircraft over Syria
(35 minutes later)
Russia’s defence ministry said it had lost contact with an IL-20 aircraft with 14 servicemen on board near Syria’s Hmeimim airbase, Syrian state-run Ikhbariya TV reported late on Monday.Russia’s defence ministry said it had lost contact with an IL-20 aircraft with 14 servicemen on board near Syria’s Hmeimim airbase, Syrian state-run Ikhbariya TV reported late on Monday.
The US believes the Russian jet was inadvertently shot down by Syrian government anti-aircraft artillery, a US official told Reuters. A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity to Reuters, said the US government believed Syrian defences may have accidentally shot down the Russian aircraft while firing at incoming Israeli missiles “The missiles were not fired by the US military and we have nothing further at this time,” a spokesperson for the Pentagon told the Guardian.
The official, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said the US government’s operating theory was that the Syrian defences accidentally shot down the Russian aircraft while firing at incoming Israeli missiles The defence ministry in Moscow said the aircraft had been returning to the Russian-run Hmeymim airbase in Latakia province on Monday night when it disappeared from radar screens.
“The missiles were not fired by the US military and we have nothing further at this time,” a spokesperson for the Pentagon told the Guardian. The plane was over the Mediterranean Sea about 20 miles (35km) from the Syrian coastline, Russia’s Tass news agency quoted the ministry as saying in a statement. “The trace of the Il-20 on flight control radars disappeared during an attack by four Israeli F-16 jets on Syrian facilities in Latakia province. At the same time Russian air control radar systems detected rocket launches from the French frigate Auvergne which was located in that region.”
Reports of the downed plane came after missiles were fired from the sea at several locations in the Syrian coastal city of Latakia on Monday. Syrian state media (Sana) said these were intercepted by air defences. Reports of the downed plane came after missiles were fired from the sea at several locations in the Syrian coastal city of Latakia on Monday. Syrian state media said these were intercepted by air defences.
“Air defences have confronted enemy missiles coming from the sea in the direction of the Latakia city, and intercepted a number of them,” Sana quoted a military source as saying.“Air defences have confronted enemy missiles coming from the sea in the direction of the Latakia city, and intercepted a number of them,” Sana quoted a military source as saying.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor, said huge explosions were heard in the city, wounding more than 10 people, whom they identified as “regime forces and military personnel”.The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor, said huge explosions were heard in the city, wounding more than 10 people, whom they identified as “regime forces and military personnel”.
This is a developing story, please check back for updates …
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