Syrian opposition forces say they shot down one of Assad’s aircraft
Syrian rebels shot down a Syrian military aircraft 50 km (31 mi) from Damascus, as reported to Reuters by a representative of the group Lions of the East Army, which is supported by the international coalition.
“We shot down a Syrian jet plane in the Tel-Dakwa area, near Damascus. We are looking for a pilot,” the source said.
As reported by Reuters, the opposition media posted photos on their websites of the remains of a pilot and an aircraft, allegedly shot down by the Syrian opposition fighters. A representative of another insurgent group said that the plane was shot down by heavy anti-aircraft weapons, which had been supplied by the United States.
According to the Turkish television station TRT World, the aircraft was of Russian origin. The Lebanese agency Al Masdar News specifies that the rebels shot down a MiG-21.
The Syrian military has not commented on the reports of the downed plane. Representatives of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, based in London, confirmed the crash of the Syrian aircraft, but could not say whether the pilot is alive or dead.