Islamic State militants shoot down Russian warplane in Syria’s Homs
The Islamic State (ISIS) militant group on Thursday announced responsibility for shooting down a Russian warplane in Syria’s central governorate of Homs.
Local sources told ARA News that the aircraft was shot down in the Hwesis District east of Homs.
ISIS leadership said in a statement, released by the jihadi Amaq Agency, that their fighters destroyed a Russian military helicopter after targeting it with a rocket.
The jihadist news outlet also released images purportedly showing the destroyed Russian aircraft.
Meanwhile, the Russia Defense Ministry said in a statement that one of its warplanes was hit by militant shells, but didn’t provide any further details about the incident or the destiny of the plane’s crew.
ISIS militants have previously downed several warplanes over Syria.
On July 9th, two Russian pilots died near the Syrian city of Palmyra when their helicopter was shot down by ISIS fighters.
On July 22, the extremist group blew up a Syrian warplane in the Homs Governorate. The jihadi Amaq Agency released images showing a destroyed Syrian warplane, claiming that it crashed after ISIS militants hit it with a rocket. Local activists told ARA News that the warplane was struck after entering the airspace of Jib al-Jarrah District in Homs.
On September 23, ISIS claimed responsibility for shooting down a US drone that had been flying over the Iraqi-Syrian border. The drone was knocked out near Shaddadi city in Hasakah Governorate. Local sources told to ARA News that the drone crashed after being strafed with machine guns.
On September 21st, the extremist group shot down a Syrian jet in a Damascus suburb. A Syrian Army commander, at the time, told ARA News: “Shortly after taking off from the Dumair Airbase in a Damascus suburb, the warplane was targeted by terrorist fire and crashed over eastern Qalamoun.”
On October 21st, the group shot down an American warplane near the town of Margada, in Syria’s northeastern Hasakah Governorate. ISIS said it destroyed an A-10 Thunderbolt jet after riddling it with heavy machine guns.
Source: /ARA News
