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  Moscow confirms warplane downed on Syria border was Russian

Moscow confirms warplane downed on Syria border was Russian

AP
Published : Nov 24, 2015, 2:46 pm IST
Updated : Nov 24, 2015, 2:46 pm IST

A plane exploded in the air and the fireball fell on a Turkmen mountain

Representational Image.
 Representational Image.

A plane exploded in the air and the fireball fell on a Turkmen mountain

Ankara

: Turkey has confirmed that it shot down a Russian warplane Tuesday, claiming it had violated Turkish airspace and ignored repeated warnings. Russia denies that the plane crossed the Syrian border into Turkish skies.

Russia's Defense Ministry said: "We are looking into the circumstances of the crash of the Russian jet. The Ministry of Defense would like to stress that the plane was over the Syrian territory throughout the flight."

Russia said the Su-24 was downed by artillery fire, but Turkey claimed that its F-16s fired on the Russian plane after it ignored several warning.

Turkey says it warned Russian plane several times before shooting it down.

Turkish media reports said the plane's pilots ejected by parachute.

Last month, Turkish jets shot down an unidentified drone that had also violated Turkey's airspace.

Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said the warplane crashed in the Turkomen Mountains region in the coastal province of Latakia.

He said it is not yet clear if the plane was Russian or Syrian, and the fate of the crew is not known yet.

The Turkomen Mountains region has been subjected to a government offensive over the past days, under the cover of Russian airstrikes.

Location: Turkey, Ankara