‘Rebels kill one pilot, 2nd missing’
One Russian pilot of a warplane downed by Turkey over Syria on Tuesday was killed by rebels and the second is missing after they both parachuted, rebel and Opposition sources said.
A Russian helicopter was also hit and damaged by rebel fire in the same area of northern Syria, a monitoring group said, but it was able to land in government-held territory.
The sources said the first pilot was killed by Opposition forces who shot at him as he landed after ejecting from the plane.
Several videos circulating online and shared on Opposition social media sites purported to show the dead pilot surrounded by rebels from different factions.
Fadi Ahmed, a spokesman for the First Coastal Front rebel group, said “the Russian pilot was killed by gunfire as he fell with his parachute” in the Jabal Turkman area of Latakia province on the coast.
“The 10th Brigade (rebel group) transferred the body of the dead Russian to the local rebel joint operations room,” added Omar Jablawi, a media activist working with rebels in the area.
He declined to specify exactly where the joint operations room was located. Sources said rebels were still searching for the second Russian pilot.