The Russian Ministry of Defense has released footage showing a precision strike against terrorists in the northwest Syria province of Idlib, following the downing of an Su-25 jet. The pilot, Roman Nikolaevich Filippov safely ejected - only to be killed by militants on the ground, according to the Ministry.

Earlier, Ebaa Agency released a video of the moment the Russian Su-25SM was shot down by MANPADS over Saraqib, in Idlib. According to Ebaa, the AlQaeda affiliated Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) backed by Qatar, was responsible. The MANPADS was probably an FN-6 delivered through Turkey, the agency speculated.

Russia promptly responded: The aerial night-vision footage shows a barrage of cruise missiles hitting ground targets, which are believed to have killed around 30 terrorists.

More footage reveals a heavy cluster bomb attack on the village of Maasaran, near the site of the downed Su-25:

As we reported earlier, the Su-25 warplane was the first Russian fighter jet downed above Syria since 2015. A Russian defense ministry official confirmed the plane was shot down, stating "The plane was flying around the de-escalation zone of Idlib."

The extremist group Tahrir al-Sham has claimed responsibility for the downing of the Ruissian Su-25, according to Reuters - while another militant group, Jaysh al-Nasr, took credit as well - posting pictures and videos celebrating the downed aircraft to its twitter account.

The group posted a video with an unknown date containing footage of a 23mm Anti-Aircraft gun ostensibly used to shoot down the Russian jet.</s>Terrorist group Tahrir al-Sham, linked to former terrorist Al Qaeda branch in Syria, claims responsibility for shooting down Russian combat jet SU-25 with shoulder-launched anti-aircraft Projectile.

Tahrir al-Sham released a post on social media quoting a commander in charge of its air raids as saying one of its militants had hit Russian SU-25 during an "air raid" over the city of Saraqeb in the northwestern province of Idlib.

Earlier on in the day, Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that dozens of terrorists were killed as a result of a powerful high precision strike targeting Syria's province of Idlib where Russian SU-25 aircraft was downed.

Russian Su-25 attack aircraft was downed in the Syrian northwestern province of Idlib on Saturday.

"When patrolling the Idlib de-escalation zone, a Russian Su-25 aircraft crashed… According to the preliminary information, the jet was shot down from a man-portable air-defense system," Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement, adding that the pilot was killed.

It is noted that the pilot reported that he managed to eject from his plane and landed in an area controlled by Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist group.

"The pilot was killed during a fight with terrorists," the Russian ministry said.

Terrorist group Tahrir al-Sham includes the terrorist group formerly known as the Nusra Front, which served as al Qaeda's Syrian branch, also a terrorist organization.</s>A Russian Su-25 jet has crashed in Idlib province in north-western Syria, the Russian Defence Ministry confirmed, adding that it was probably shot down by MANPAD. The pilot ejected but was killed by militants on the ground.

Preliminary data showed the Su-25 plane was downed by a man-portable air-defense system (MANPAD), the ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

The attack took place when the jet was flying over the Idlib de-escalation zone on Saturday. The pilot parachuted down into the area controlled by Al-Nusra terrorist group, the statement said. He was killed during a confrontation with the militants from an unspecified group.

Russian Reconciliation Center for Syria together with Turkey which is also responsible for the Idlib de-escalation zone is now trying to retrieve the body of the Russian pilot, the Defense Ministry confirmed.

Tahrir al-Sham, the extremist group linked to Al-Nusra terrorists, has claimed responsibility for the downing of the Russian aircraft, according to Reuters.

Earlier, another militant group, Jaysh al-Nasr, which claims affiliation to the Free Syrian Army, also posted videos and statements about the Russian plane on its Twitter account. It said the jet was shot down by some air defense systems.

In July 2016, two pilots were killed when a Russian military helicopter was downed by Islamic State militants near Palmyra. They had been attacking advancing terrorists at Damascus’ request when it was shot down.

The Russian air campaign supporting anti-terrorist efforts by Syrian authorities lasted from September 2015 to December 2017. In mid-December, President Vladimir Putin visited the Khmeimim Airbase to announce the withdrawal of most of the Russian troop contingent from the country.

Moscow played a vital role in the defeat of Islamic State (IS, formerly known as ISIS) terrorist group in Syria, as well as other jihadist groups, including Al-Nusra. Around 60,000 fighters were eliminated during the campaign, according to the defense ministry.</s>The Russian Ministry of Defense has released footage of a precision strike targeting terrorists in Idlib, north-west Syria, in retaliation for the earlier downing of an Su-25 jet and the killing of its pilot.

The night-vision footage shows missiles hitting ground targets which are destroyed in a series of fiery blasts. At least 30 terrorists are believed to have been killed in the operation.

On Saturday, the Russian Defence Ministry confirmed that one of its fighter jets was downed in the de-escalation zone in Idlib province. The pilot managed to eject from the aircraft and parachute down safely, but was then killed by militants on the ground, the MoD stated. The ministry is now trying to retrieve his body.

Tahrir al-Sham, the extremist group linked to Al-Nusra terrorists, has claimed responsibility for the downing of the Russian aircraft, according to Reuters.

Earlier, another militant group, Jaysh al-Nasr, which claims affiliation to the Free Syrian Army, also posted videos and statements about the Russian plane on its Twitter account. It said the jet was shot down by some air defense systems.

Like this story? Share it with a friend!</s>AMMAN - A jihadist group linked to the former branch of al Qaida in Syria claimed responsibility for shooting down a Russian SU-25 warplane with a shoulder launched anti-aircraft missile.



The group Tahrir al-Sham released a statement on social media quoting a commander in charge of its air defenses as saying one of its fighters had hit the jet during an air raid over the city of Saraqeb in the northwestern province of Idlib. Tahrir al-Sham includes the group formerly known as the Nusra Front, which served as al Qaida's Syrian branch.</s>Feb. 3 (UPI) -- More than two dozen Syrian rebels on Saturday were killed by Russian cruise-missile attacks after Syrian rebels downed a Russian fighter jet.

The pilot of the Russian Su-25 fighter jet had ejected and landed safely but was later killed by terrorists, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.

Russia's retaliation of the Syrian attack used precision-guided weapons in a strike that killed more than 30 militants where the plane was downed in the northwest province of Idlib, according to reports.

The incident comes as Syrian government forces, with support by Russian air and Iranian arms, have intensified their offensive into the province, which is one of the last rebel-held strongholds in Syria and host to several al-Qaeda-affiliated Islamist groups.

Russian and Syrian airstrikes have raised doubts about the future of Idlib, which has been firmly under the control of Islamist rebels since mid-2015. Most prominent among them is Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a coalition of jihadist groups headed by Jabhat al-Nusra, now known as Fateh al-Sham.

Valery Gerasimov, the commander of Russian forces in Syria, called for Tahrir al-Sham's "elimination," saying that would be his top priority in 2018.</s>enabled the Pentagon to authorize shipments of anti-aircraft weapons to Syrian rebels

The US military has said no anti-aircraft weapons have been shipped to the militias it backs in Syria amid speculation the Russian Su-25 jet downed in Idlib, north-west Syria may have been shot down by a US-made missile.Pentagon spokesman Maj. Adrian J.T. Rankine-Galloway told TASS.He added that the coalition's combat efforts are "geographically orientated on the current fight with Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS, ISIL) in eastern Syria."The Russian Defense Ministry said earlier the jet was attacked from the ground by rebels possibly using a man-portable air-defense system (MANPADS) in the designated ceasefire zone in Idlib province.put forward by the Russian military to ensure security of its coalition allies, Rankine-Galloway added.It's believed the officer was engaged in a firefight with militants before being killed. Purported images of his personal belongings, including his gun and a recommendation for a state honor, have surfaced on social media. As did footage of militants shouting "Allahu Akbar" ("God is great") at the sight of the jet crashing and militants taking selfies with the body of the slain pilot.The Tahrir al-Sham extremist group, which has links to the Al-Nusra terrorist group, claimed responsibility for the attack. However, posts and videos of the downed Russian plane appeared on the social media accounts of the Jaysh al-Nasr militant group which is affiliated with the Free Syrian Army.brushing off Moscow's concerns in the process. The 2017 National Defense Authorization ActThe Russian Defense Ministry argued that if such weapons are brought into Syria, they could easily fall into the hands of IS and other terrorists.The Pentagon then denied it had any plans to send the weapons.The 2018 defense act outlines significant directives pertaining to MANPADS deployment in Syria.</s>Following the attack Russian Air Forces conducted a high-precision group strike in the area controlled by terrorist group Jabhat Fatah al-Sham [previously known as al-Nusra Front], from where the missile that downed the Russian jet fighter was allegedly launched.

The video footage and photos of the incident shared in social networks, shows the aftermath of the attack.

Another video supposedly depicts the Russian plane hit by MANPAD.
According to Sputnik agency, Tahrir al-Sham, allegedly including Al-Nusra Front, claims in a social media post that it downed the Russian jet with a shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missile.