A Russian Su-24 fighter has been shot down in Syria, the Russian Defense Ministry said, adding the plane hadn’t violated Turkish airspace and was flying at an altitude of 6,000 meters.
“During the flight, the aircraft was flying within the borders of Syria, which was registered by objective monitoring data,” the ministry said, adding that the aircraft was "supposedly shot down from the ground.”
#SYRIA Russian aircraft Su-24 crashed in Syria. According to the preliminary data, the pilots managed to eject from the warplane
— Минобороны России (@mod_russia) 24 ноября 2015
Reports of a downed plane emerged earlier in Turkish media. A Habertürk TV reporter on the scene said the aircraft “turned into a fireball.” Numerous witnesses wrote on social media, saying thick plumes of smoke have been rising from the jet crash site.
#SONDAKİKA! Türkmen Dağı'nın yakınına savaş uçağı düştü... Uçağın düşme anını Habertürk TV ekibi görüntüledi https://t.co/PCUK9Z6RTA
— Habertürk TV (@HaberturkTV) 24 ноября 2015
Turkish military added the plane had been warned at least 10 times over a period of five minutes before being shot down by two Turkish F-16 fighter jets. He said the plane had violated Turkish airspace.
The plane reportedly crashed in a village mostly populated by Syrian Turkmen. The place has been a hotspot between the opposition and the Syrian Army.
#SONDAKİKA! SINIRDA UÇAK DÜŞÜRÜLDÜ TSK: SINIR İHLALİ YAPAN SU-24 TİPİ UÇAĞA 2 ADET F-16 TARAFINDAN MÜDAHALE EDİLDİ pic.twitter.com/TZfJXe1fGq
— Habertürk TV (@HaberturkTV) 24 ноября 2015
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has met with officials from the Foreign Ministry. He instructed them to consult with NATO and the UN on the latest developments on the Syrian border, Davutoglu’s office said in a statement.
