LF: Turkey shoots down Russian jet after violating its air space: One pilot is feared captured in Syria as footage emerges of rebel group chanting 'Allahu Akbar' over the corpse of his co-pilot

Title: Turkey shoots down Russian jet after violating its air space: One pilot is feared captured in Syria as footage emerges of rebel group chanting 'Allahu Akbar' over the corpse of his co-pilot
Source: Daily Mail Online
URL Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art ... ming-plane-crashing-trees.html
Published: Nov 24, 2015
Author: Sara Malm and Will Stewart In Moscow for
Post Date: 2015-11-24 07:08:10 by cranky
Keywords: None
Views: 2611
Comments: 19

Turkey's military have today shot down a Russian war plane near its border with Syria after the jet violated Turkish air space.

The Russian Sukhoi Su-24 jet was shot down by Turkish F-16 fighter planes after ignoring nearly a dozen warnings, Turkish army officials said.

However, Russia's Ministry of Defence claims the jet was in Syrian airspace, and was shot down from the ground.

Footage reportedly filmed by rebels in Syria's Turkomen Mountains, an area which has been the cause of recent tensions between Turkey and Russia, shows local fighters cheer as they discover the body of one of the Russian pilots.

Crash site: Smoke billowing from the wreckage of a Russian Sukhoi Su-24 jet was shot down by Turkish F-16 fighter planes on Tuesday morning and crashed in Syria's Turkoman Mountains

Conflicting stories: Turkey claims they shot the plane down as it was violating the country's airspace after the pilots ignored 'ten warnings in the space of five minutes', but Russia says the jet was in Syrian airspace

'Proof'? This image, left, accompanied by a video, right, claims to show one of the Russian pilots found dead by Turkmen rebels

The video, posted on Twitter by a man believed to be a Syrian-Turkmen rebel soldier, shows at least a dozen men surrounding the corpse of the pilot, dressed in Russian military fatigues, and some are heard shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ – ‘God is great’.

The area is mainly populated by Turkmens - Syrians citizens, but ethnic Turks - and is the target of a current Syrian government offensive, where President Bashar al-Assad's ground troops are supported by Russian airstrikes.

The Turkish army said the pilots of the Russian jet had been warned 'ten times in the space of five minutes' before the plane was shot down.

Both pilots ejected themselves from the jet and could be seen parachuting down to the ground, where one has been reported dead and the other captured by Syrian Turkmen rebels.

The Turkomen Mountains is controlled by several insurgent groups, who are not allied with ISIS, including al-Qaida's branch in Syria, the Nusra Front, and the 2nd Coastal Division that consists of local Turkmen fighters.

Footage reportedly filmed in Syria's Turkomen Mountains shows local fighters cheer as they discover the body of one of the Russian pilots

At least a dozen men surround the corpse of the pilot, dressed in Russian military fatigues, and some are heard shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’

Hit: Video footage shows the plane coming down engulfed in flames after being shot by Turkish fighter jets

Filmed: The incident was caught on camera and has been broadcast on Turkish local TV and online

Just hours before the Russian jet was shot down, Ankara called for a U.N Security Council meeting to discuss attacks on Turkmen areas in Syria.

It followed a summoning of Moscow's ambassador on Friday, when Ankara demanded an immediate end to the Russian military operation near the Syrian border saying the Russian actions did not 'constitute a fight against terrorism' but the bombing of civilians.

Ambassador Andrey Karlov was warned during the meeting that the Russian operations could lead to serious consequences, the ministry said.

A Turkish military statement, issued before it was confirmed that the jet was Russian, said the plane entered Turkish airspace over the town of Yayladagi, in Hatay province.

'On Nov. 24, 2015 at around 09.20am, a plane whose nationality is not known violated the Turkish airspace despite several warnings (ten times within five minutes) in the area of Yayladagi, Hatary.

'Two F-16 planes on aerial patrol duty in the area intervened against the plane in question in accordance with the rules of engagement at 09.24am.'

The Turkish Army later released a radar analysis image which they say tracks the movement of the Russian Sukhoi Su-24 jet, showing where it entered Turkish air space, and where it went down.

One of the pilots can be seen parachuting down after ejecting from the plane, as the wreckage burns

This image released by the Turkish Army reportedly shows the flight radar tracking the movement of the downed Russian Sukhoi Su-24 jet, showing where it entered Turkish air space and where it went down

Russia's Defence Ministry said in a statement that they are looking into the circumstances of the crash of the Russian jet.

'The Ministry of Defence would like to stress that the plane was over the Syrian territory throughout the flight.'

The statement also claimed that the Sukhoi-24 had been shot down from the ground at the altitude of 6,000metres(3.73m).

Vladimir Putin's spokesman called the downing of the Su-24 warplane a 'very serious incident' but declined to comment further until more facts emerged.

'It is just impossible to say something without having full information,' said Dmitry Peskov.

Russia's government-run TV Zvezda claimed the warplane had been in Syrian airspace the entire time, which allegedly could be proven by 'control systems', a ministry spokesman said.

Ejected: The two pilots of the Russian Sukhoi-24 jet can be seen parachuting down after the plane was hit

Russia's Ministry of Defence claims the jet was in Syrian airspace, and was shot down from the ground

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has spoken with the chief of military staff and the foreign minister about the developments on the Syrian border, the prime minister's office said in a statement, without mentioning the downed jet. He has ordered the foreign ministry to consult with NATO, the United Nations and related countries on the latest developments, his office said. Last month, Turkish jets shot down an unidentified drone that had also violated Turkey's airspace. Turkey and Russia have long been at loggerheads over the Syrian conflict, with Ankara seeking Assad's overthrow while Moscow does everything to keep him in power.

By DARREN BOYLE FOR MAILONLINE

Russian pilots operating out of the Latakia air base in Syria have a small escape kit to help them on the ground if they are forced to eject from their jet.

In the Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer, the escape kit is located in a small compartment underneath the ejector seat.

The escape kit contains an inflatable raft, in case the aircraft is brought down over water. There is also a radio beacon which will relay the pilot's location to any potential rescue aircraft.

The pilot also has a radio, signal flares, a machete and a knife. It is likely the pilot will have a sidearm to defend himself.

Russian pilots are equipped with a small escape kit in a compartment underneath their ejector seat

Among the basic equipment in the escape kit is a machette, pictured, and a small supply of water.

In the British and American incidents, the Ruskies were escorted out of British and American airspace, I think.

Okaaay. I did not list that as a possibility, because the OP did not list it as one. It said the plane was taken down by a F-16.

I doubt very much Russian aircraft ever entered British or American airspace. At most, they would have come close to it, but no more.