Although the Russian pilot escaped the crash, he was killed by rebels who had tried to capture him, the source said. The Syrian opposition had shown on social media what they said was the wreckage of the plane and the body of the pilot surrounded by rebels. A Russian plane was blamed for the death of seven civilians and scores of injuries after cars were targeted on the highway, according to a witness and two rebels sources. Syrian soldiers and Iranian-backed militiamen were now around twelve kilometres from Saraqeb, advancing towards the Damascus-Aleppo highway under cover of heavy Russian air strikes, two opposition sources said. Syrians in rebel-held areas say they can distinguish between Russian warplanes and those of the Syrian air force, because the Russian planes fly at higher altitude.

Source: bd News24 February 03, 2018 18:22 UTC