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Syria downs Russian plane, Israel blamed

September 18, 2018

BEIRUT —

Syria accidentally downed a Russian military aircraft with a crew of 15 onboard when its air defenses went into action against an alleged Israeli missile strike, the Russian army said Tuesday.

The incident, which happened late Monday, was the worst case of friendly fire between the two allies since Russia›s game-changing military intervention in September 2015.

The Russian Ilyushin dropped off the radar over the Mediterranean moments after Turkey and Russia announced a deal that offered millions of people reprieve from a threatened military assault in northern Syria.

There was no immediate word from Damascus, but the deadly air war sequence started when missiles struck the coastal region of Latakia on Monday.

Israeli pilots carrying out attacks on Syrian targets «used the Russian plane as a cover, exposing it to fire from Syrian air defenses,» the Russian military said.

«15 Russian servicemen died,» it said, adding Moscow reserved «the right to proper retaliatory actions» against Israel.

It made no further mention of a French frigate the Russian defense ministry had earlier claimed also opened fire from the area on Monday.

The French army had denied any involvement and Syria state media had reported late Monday that air defenses had intercepted missiles targeting Latakia.

«Our air defenses are countering hostile missiles coming from the sea towards the city of Latakia, and a number of them have been intercepted,» it said, quoting a military source.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, some missiles did get through and struck ammunition depots at the site of the technical industries institute.

Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Britain-based monitoring group, said at least two fighters were killed and 10 wounded in the strike.

«Two bodies were found,» he told AFP, adding that he could not immediately confirm whether the casualties were soldiers or militiamen from forces supporting Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad.

Israel expresses ‹sorrow›

Israel›s military expressed «sorrow» on Tuesday for the deaths of crew members of a Russian military aircraft, but blamed President Al-Assad and Iran.

«Israel expresses sorrow for the deaths of the aircrew members of the Russian plane that was downed tonight due to Syrian anti-aircraft fire,» a military statement said in Israel›s first reaction to the incident.

«Israel holds the Assad regime, whose military shot down the Russian plane, fully responsible for this incident. Israel also holds Iran and the Hezbollah terror organization accountable for this unfortunate incident.»

It said the Israeli raid late Monday targeted a Syrian military facility where weapons manufacturing systems were «about to be transferred on behalf of Iran» to Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah.

Iran is Israel›s main enemy, while it also fought a war with Hezbollah in 2006. — Agencies


September 18, 2018
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