Syrian Opposition Claims Russian Pilot Dead, Putin to Address Nation

Local Editor

The video posted online shows armed men around an alleged Russian pilot who seems to be unconscious and immobile. His face is bruised and bloodied. The men seem to be happy, with some regretting that they hadn't burned him on the spot.

"A Russian pilot," a voice is heard saying as a group of men gather around him.

They spoke Arabic but used a Latakia dialect.

According to Reuters, the video was sent by a militant group operating in the northwestern area of Syria, where groups including the Free Syrian Army are active but "ISIS" has no known presence.

Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry said that a Su-24 jet had crashed on the Turkish-Syrian border.

"Today, as most likely a result of a strike from the ground an Su-24 plane from the Russian aviation group in the Syrian Arab Republic crashed in the territory of Syria," the Defense Ministry stated.

According to the preliminary reports, the plane was gunned down from the ground.

The Su-24 bomber jet was in Syrian airspace at the altitude 6,000 meters, the Russian Defense Ministry said. The pilots were reportedly able to parachute out of the jet before it crashed.

Accordingly, a Kremlin spokesman said it was a "very serious incident" but that it was too early to draw conclusions.

Reports have it that President Putin will make a statement today commenting on the downing of the Russian jet in the northern countryside of Latakia.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team