Syria’s former al-Qaeda affiliate claimed responsibility on Saturday for the downing of a Russian warplane in northern Syria, apparently using a surface-to-air missile.

The pilot was killed after he ejected and exchanged gunfire with militants on the ground, the Russian Defense Ministry and a monitoring group said.

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, a powerful rebel alliance that publicly split from al-Qaeda last year, said it had used a man-portable anti-aircraft system to shoot down the Su-25 fighter jet as it flew low over the opposition-held town of Saraqeb.

That claim was echoed by Russia’s Interfax news agency, quoting the Defense Ministry, as well as the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The incident could raise tensions between Russia and Turkey, which is monitoring a so-called “de-escalation zone” in the northern province of Idlib as part of an agreement made during Syrian peace talks in the Kazakh capital, Astana.

It also raises questions about the source of the apparent MANPADS, a weapon for which Syria’s rebels have repeatedly pleaded from their international backers. The United States in particular has been strongly opposed, fearing that anti-aircraft weapons could fall into the hands of the country’s extremist groups.

“The United States has never provided MANPAD missiles to any group in Syria, and we are deeply concerned that such weapons are being used,” State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said, according to Reuters.

Saraqeb has come under heavy bombardment from Russian and Syrian warplanes in recent days as pro-government forces try to recapture a strategic highway linking Damascus to Aleppo. The White Helmets civil defence group said on Saturday that seven civilians had been killed in at least 25 strikes on largely residential areas, some of them using barrel bombs.

In the hours after the Russian jet was downed, Moscow also claimed to have killed more than 30 militants in the area, Interfax reported. The agency quoted the defence ministry as saying it used “precision-guided weapons” to carry out the strike, but without giving details.

The use of MANPADS in a province where Turkish forces are nominally present could also anger Russia. The two countries have improved ties and cooperated in Syria in recent months, but relations hit an all-time low in 2015, when Turkey, a long-time supporter of the country’s rebels, also shot down a Russian warplane inside Syria.

Turkey set up observation points in Idlib last year, ostensibly to monitor the fighting between the rebels and government forces, but it has also been accused of fostering closer ties with HTS.

Moscow entered Syria’s civil war in 2015 on the side of President Bashar al-Assad. And its intervention turned the tide of the brutal war, allowing Syria’s government to recapture the city of Aleppo from the rebels and beat back militants in other parts of the country.

But Idlib remains under militant control, and HTS exercises significant influence even over areas it does not formally hold.

“Mahmoud Turkmani, the military commander of the HTS air defence battalion, managed to shoot down a military plane by an anti-aircraft MANPADS in the sky of Saraqeb in the Idlib countryside in late afternoon today,” Ebaa News, the unofficial media outlet used by HTS, reported on Saturday.

“That is the least revenge we can offer to our people and those occupiers should know that our sky is not a picnic,” Mahmoud reportedly said.

Idlib province is also home to more than a million displaced people from around Syria, and renewed fighting has pushed close to a quarter of a million residents to flee again since mid-December, cramming into already-packed houses and tented settlements across the region.

Despite repeated appeals to their international backers, rebel groups in Syria have never had a sustained supply of MANPADS. But they have occasionally used individual weapons captured from the battlefield. Rebels forces have shot down Syrian fighter jets and other Russian military aircraft. In August 2016, a Russian transport helicopter was shot down as it was flying over Saraqeb, killing all five people aboard.

Videos circulating online showed the alleged crash site of the fighter jet in Idlib’s Saraqeb, which the United Nations said has recently suffered “heavy shelling and aerial bombardment.” According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, an air strike on a potato market there earlier this week killed at least 16 people, and the town’s hospital was also attacked.

Both Russia and the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that the pilot Saturday was killed after exchanging fire with the rebels. He was able to communicate that he had ejected from the aircraft in an area held by HTS, but later “died in a fight with the terrorists,” Russia’s Defense Ministry said. The ministry also said it was working with Turkey to bring the pilot’s body home.

Syria’s war has raged for seven years, and half a million people have been killed. The conflict has sucked in world powers – like Russia – but also the United States and Iran.</s>"A group strike using precision weapons has been conducted in the area controlled by the Jabhat al-Nusra [Jabhat Fatah al-Sham] terrorist group in Idlib province, from where the missile was launched against the [downed] Russian Su-25 airplane. According to radio intercepts, as a result of the strike, more than 30 militants of Jabhat al-Nusra were destroyed," the report by the Russian Defense Ministry said.

The strike followed the downing of the Russian Su-25 aircraft in the area.

"The plane was flying over the Idlib de-escalation zone," the military stated.

​The Defense Ministry revealed that according to preliminary information as to the possible cause of the downing, the plane may have been shot down by a man-portable air-defense system (MANPAD).

​The Russian Defense Ministry stated that the pilot managed to eject from the aircraft and survive, but was killed during a subsequent battle with terrorists.

"The pilot reported on a bailout in an area controlled by rebels Jabhat Fatah al-Sham [previously known as al-Nusra Front]. When conducting a fight with terrorists, the pilot died," the Defense Ministry said.

According to the ministry, Russia and Turkey, peace guarantor in Syria's Idlib de-escalation zone, are taking all possible efforts to return the body of the killed pilot.

During the two-years long military operation in Syria, Russia lost four aircraft and four helicopters. According to Russian Defense Minister Yury Borisov, the country's air forces used modernized Su-25SM ground attack aircraft are being used in Syria.

The Su-25 attack aircraft is designed to destroy small-size mobile and fixed ground objects, as well as low-speed air targets.

The conflict took place on the territory controlled by the Jabhat Fatah al-Sham terror group amid the ongoing military operation against them conducted by the Syrian forces.

READ MORE: Syrian Troops Start Op to Eliminate Nusra Front Militants in Idlib — Russian MoD

Among various terror groups operating in the area, there is also Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an umbrella terrorist group spearheaded this year by the former Al-Nusra Front. While some countries such as the United States have flagged HTS as a terrorist group, Russian officials continue to refer to the Salafist jihadist terrorist organization by its old Al-Nusra moniker. Al-Nusra was the official Syrian branch of al-Qaeda until 2016, when it ostensibly split from the world's most well-known terrorist network.</s>The pilot survived the crash, but was killed during a fight with terrorists

The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that the country's air forces conducted a group strike of the area controlled by Jabhat Fatah al-Sham militants in Idlib, from where a projectile was fired downing Russian Su-25 aircraft.The Russian Ministry of Defense revealed the preliminary information on the incident, saying that"The plane was flying over the Idlib de-escalation zone," the military stated.The Defense Ministry revealed that according to preliminary information as to the possible cause of the downing, the plane may have been shot down by a man-portable air-defense system (MANPAD)."The pilot reported on a bailout in an area controlled by rebels Jabhat Fatah al-Sham [previously known as al-Nusra Front]. When conducting a fight with terrorists, the pilot died," the Defense Ministry said.According to the ministry, Russia and Turkey, peace guarantor in Syria's Idlib de-escalation zone , are taking all possible efforts to return the body of the killed pilot.During the two-years long military operation in Syria, Russia lost four aircraft and four helicopters. According to Russian Defense Minister Yury Borisov, the country's air forces modernized Su-25SM ground attack aircraft are being used in Syria.The Su-25 attack aircraft is designed to destroy small-size mobile and fixed ground objects, as well as low-speed air targets.The conflict took place on the territory controlled by the Jabhat Fatah al-Sham terror group amid the ongoing military operation against them conducted by the Syrian forces.Among various terror groups operating in the area, there is also Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an umbrella terrorist group spearheaded this year by the former Al-Nusra Front. While some countries such as the United States have flagged HTS as a terrorist group, Russian officials continue to refer to the Salafist jihadist terrorist organization by its old Al-Nusra moniker. Al-Nusra was the official Syrian branch of al-Qaeda until 2016, when it ostensibly split from the world's most well-known terrorist network.</s>The pilot survived the crash, but was killed during a fight with terrorists

The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that the country's air forces conducted a group strike of the area controlled by Jabhat Fatah al-Sham militants in Idlib, from where a projectile was fired downing Russian Su-25 aircraft.The Russian Ministry of Defense revealed the preliminary information on the incident, saying that"The plane was flying over the Idlib de-escalation zone," the military stated.The Defense Ministry revealed that according to preliminary information as to the possible cause of the downing, the plane may have been shot down by a man-portable air-defense system (MANPAD)."The pilot reported on a bailout in an area controlled by rebels Jabhat Fatah al-Sham [previously known as al-Nusra Front]. When conducting a fight with terrorists, the pilot died," the Defense Ministry said.According to the ministry, Russia and Turkey, peace guarantor in Syria's Idlib de-escalation zone , are taking all possible efforts to return the body of the killed pilot.During the two-years long military operation in Syria, Russia lost four aircraft and four helicopters. According to Russian Defense Minister Yury Borisov, the country's air forces modernized Su-25SM ground attack aircraft are being used in Syria.The Su-25 attack aircraft is designed to destroy small-size mobile and fixed ground objects, as well as low-speed air targets.The conflict took place on the territory controlled by the Jabhat Fatah al-Sham terror group amid the ongoing military operation against them conducted by the Syrian forces.Among various terror groups operating in the area, there is also Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an umbrella terrorist group spearheaded this year by the former Al-Nusra Front. While some countries such as the United States have flagged HTS as a terrorist group, Russian officials continue to refer to the Salafist jihadist terrorist organization by its old Al-Nusra moniker. Al-Nusra was the official Syrian branch of al-Qaeda until 2016, when it ostensibly split from the world's most well-known terrorist network.</s>In a retaliatory move, massive Russian air strikes have killed at least 30 militants in Syria, where a Russian fighter jet was shot down, an official said on Sunday. “A series of high-precision weapon strikes have been delivered in the area controlled by the Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist group, which brought down the Russian Su-25 jet by using a portable anti-aircraft missile system in the Syrian province Idlib,” Russia’s Defense Ministry said. “According to radio intercepts, more than 30 Jabhat al-Nusra militants were killed,” Xinhua quoted the ministry as saying.

Earlier on Saturday, the ministry said a pilot survived the fighter jet crash but was later killed in a ground fight with terrorists. The pilot had reported earlier that he ejected by parachute in the area, controlled by Jabhat al-Nusra militants. In May 2017, the guarantors of the Syrian ceasefire — Russia, Iran and Turkey — agreed to set up the Syrian de-escalation zones in Syria, which includes Idlib province. A Russian pilot has been killed after his plane was shot down by militants in the Syrian province of Idlib, the Russian Defence Ministry has said.

“A Russian Su-25 aircraft crashed during a flight over the Idlib de-escalation area,” the ministry said in the statement on Saturday, Xinhua news agency reported. “The pilot died in a fight with the terrorists,” the statement said, adding that preliminary information showed that the plane was downed by use of a man-portable anti-aircraft missile system. “The Russian centre for the reconciliation of opposing sides in Syria and the Turkish side overseeing the Idlib de-escalation area are working to bring the Russian pilot’s body home,” it said. The pilot had reported earlier that he ejected by parachute in the area, controlled by Nusra Front militants.</s>The Russian Defense Ministry has confirmed that an Su-25 close-support military aircraft was shot down over Syria on February 3 and the pilot was killed.

A ministry statement said the pilot ejected from the aircraft but was killed while resisting capture by rebels fighting against the Syrian government. The statement said preliminary evidence indicates the plane was shot down by a shoulder-launched antiaircraft missile.

The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said earlier that rebel forces had shot down an Su-25 in Idlib Province in northwestern Syria.

A jihadist group called Hayat Tahrir al-Sham claimed responsibility for the downing, saying a shoulder-launched missile had been used. The statement on the rebel-affiliated media channel Ibaa did not mention the Russian pilot.

Russian military correspondent Aleksandr Kots posted on social media a video purportedly showing rebel fighters picking over the burning wreckage of an Su-25.

The Russia-based, independent Conflict Intelligence Team posted photographs they say showed the dead body of the pilot and a paper recommending a man named Major Roman Fillipov for a state award that was allegedly filled out by Russian air group commander Lieutenant Colonel Sergei Aksyonov.

Novaya Gazeta quoted an unidentified Defense Ministry source as confirming that the pilot was Filippov. According to the newspaper, he was a Ukrainian pilot from Crimea, the Ukrainian region that Russia annexed in 2014.

Federation Council member Frants Klintsevich, chairman of the Defense and Security Committee, said an investigation would be launched into the circumstances of the downing.

"As I have said before," Klintsevich told Interfax, "I am positive that the militants have [shoulder-launched antiaircraft weapons], and they have been supplied by the Americans via third countries."

Vladimir Shamanov, chairman of the State Duma's Defense Committee, said "there are over 1,000 U.S. instructors in Idlib, so it could be a provocation."

The U.S. State Department said it was "deeply concerned" at reports of shoulder-launched antiaircraft systems being used and denied the United States had ever supplied such weapons.

"The United States has never provided MANPAD missiles to any group in Syria, and we are deeply concerned that such weapons are being used," spokeswoman Heather Nauert said.

"The solution to the violence is a return to the Geneva process as soon as possible and we call on Russia to live up to its commitments in that regards," she added.

Russia has been conducting military operations in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad since September 2015.

The February 3 incident was the first time Syrian rebels have shot down a Russian warplane. In July 2016, rebels used a shoulder-launched missile to shoot down a Russian-made Syrian helicopter manned by a Russian crew.

In all, Russia has reported losing four jets and four helicopters during the Syrian campaign, including two jets that crashed while trying to land on the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier and an Su-24 bomber that was shot down by Turkey in November 2015.

The Su-25 is a single-seat, twin-engine jet designed to provide close air support for troops on the ground.

With reporting by AFP, AP, and Reuters</s>Syrian opposition fighters downed a Russian warplane near the town of Maaret al-Numan in the northwestern province of Idlib on Saturday, according to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

"Rebel factions shot down a Sukhoi 25. The Russian pilot came down in a parachute, before being captured," said Rami Abdurrahman, who runs the monitoring group.

Read more: UN warns of humanitarian disaster, displacement in northwest Syria

However, it later emerged that the Russian pilot had been killed by rebel fighters after he resisted capture by opening fire with his pistol. "The pilot was killed as he fought Islamist rebels who had shot down his plane and were taking him captive," Abdurrahman said.

The militant Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group said it shot down the plane, but did not mention the pilot. The group is dominated by al-Qaida's former affiliate in Syria.

The HTS statement said the attack was in retaliation for a bombing campaign by Russian jets over Idlib.

Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? War with no end Syria has been engulfed in a devastating civil war since 2011 after Syrian President Bashar Assad lost control over large parts of the country to multiple revolutionary groups. The conflict has since drawn in foreign powers and brought misery and death to Syrians.

Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The dictator Syria's army, officially known as the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), is loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and is fighting to restore the president's rule over the entire country. The SAA has been fighting alongside a number of pro-Assad militias such as the National Defense Force and has cooperated with military advisors from Russia and Iran, which back Assad.

Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The northern watchman Turkey, which is also part of the US-led coalition against IS, has actively supported rebels opposed to Assad. It has a tense relationship with its American allies over US cooperation with Kurdish fighters, who Ankara says are linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) fighting in Turkey. The Turkish military has intervened alongside rebels in northern Aleppo, Afrin and Idlib province.

Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The eastern guardian The Kremlin has proven to be a powerful friend to Assad. Russian air power and ground troops officially joined the fight in September 2015 after years of supplying the Syrian army. Moscow has come under fire from the international community for the high number of civilian casualties during its airstrikes. However, Russia's intervention turned the tide in war in favor of Assad.

Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The western allies A US-led coalition of more than 50 countries, including Germany, began targeting IS and other terrorist targets with airstrikes in late 2014. The anti-IS coalition has dealt major setbacks to the militant group. The US has more than a thousand special forces in the country backing the Syrian Democratic Forces.

Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The rebels The Free Syrian Army grew out of protests against the Assad regime that eventually turned violent. Along with other non-jihadist rebel groups, it seeks the ouster of President Assad and democratic elections. After suffering a number of defeats, many of its members defected to hardline militant groups. It garnered some support from the US and Turkey, but its strength has been greatly diminished.

Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The resistance Fighting between Syrian Kurds and Islamists has become its own conflict. The US-led coalition against the "Islamic State" has backed the Syrian Democratic Forces, an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias. The Kurdish YPG militia is the main component of the SDF. The Kurds have had a tacit understanding with Assad.

Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The new jihadists "Islamic State" (IS) took advantage of regional chaos to capture vast swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria in 2014. Seeking to establish its own "caliphate," IS has become infamous for its fundamentalist brand of Islam and its mass atrocities. IS is on the brink of defeat after the US and Russia led separate military campaigns against the militant group.

Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The old jihadists IS is not the only terrorist group that has ravaged Syria. A number of jihadist militant groups are fighting in the conflict, warring against various rebel factions and the Assad regime. One of the main jihadist factions is Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, which controls most of Idlib province and has ties with al-Qaeda.

Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The Persian shadow Iran has supported Syria, its only Arab ally, for decades. Eager to maintain its ally, Tehran has provided Damascus with strategic assistance, military training and ground troops when the conflict emerged in 2011. The Iran-backed Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah also supports the Assad regime, fighting alongside Iranian forces and paramilitary groups in the country. Author: Elizabeth Schumacher, Alexander Pearson



Moscow also confirmed that the pilot had been killed. "A Russian Su-25 aircraft crashed during a flight over the Idlib de-escalation zone. The pilot had enough time to announce he had ejected into the zone, under the control of al-Nusra Front fighters," Russia's Defense Ministry said. "The pilot was killed in fighting against terrorists."

A video making the rounds on social media showed a dead man with a bloodied face, with bearded gunmen gathered around him. One of the men can be heard shouting "He is Russian." The authenticity of the video could not be independently verified.

Last IS bastion

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

"There have been dozens of Russian airstrikes in the area over the past 24 hours," said Abdurrahman. "This plane was also carrying out raids there."

The Syrian regime launched its offensive against Idlib from the south and east in December.

Last month, the Syrian army retook the strategic Abu Dhuhur airbase from insurgents in Idlib.

According to Jan Egeland, who heads the UN's task force on humanitarian aid for Syria, almost a quarter of a million people have been displaced into or from Idlib since the latest onslaught began less than two months ago.

US investigating reports of sarin gas attacks

The escalating violence in Idlib comes as the United States launches an investigation into reports the Syrian government recently used sarin gas to attack opposition forces.

"We have other reports from the battlefield from people who claim it's been used," US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis said Friday, although he admitted the US had no proof to back the claims.

"We're looking for evidence of it, since clearly we are dealing with the Assad regime that has used denial and deceit to hide their outlaw actions," he added.

In April, more than 80 people died in a sarin gas attack on the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib.

That prompted the US to launch airstrikes on a Syrian government military base, although Syria President Bashar Assad has denied the sarin strike was carried out by his troops.

Watch video 01:57 Share #MessageBackHome: We want to return and rebuild Syria Send Facebook google+ Whatsapp Tumblr linkedin stumble Digg reddit Newsvine Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/2rJTR #MessageBackHome: We want to return and rebuild Syria

dm/cmk (dpa, AFP)</s>The Russian Defence Ministry said Moscow had retaliated with a strike from an undisclosed high-precision weapon that wipedd out more than 30 militants in an area of Idlib province where the plane was downed. Reports say Russia fired numerous missiles from both the Mediterranean Sea and its Khmeimim air base in Syria. Army bosses said radio intelligence determined that more than 30 Al-Nusra righters were killed in strikes by "precision-guided weapons". Huge explosions have now been reported in a number of coastal areas, as well as Idlib, where the jet was shot down.

Syrian rebels shot down Russian warplane Su-25 and killed its pilot on the ground after he ejected from the plane. The SU-25 came down in an area of Syria's northern Idlib province that has seen heavy air strikes and fighting on the ground between government forces backed by Russia and Iran, and rebels who oppose President Bashar al-Assad. Syrians opposed to Assad see Russia as an invading force they blame for the deaths of thousands of civilians since Moscow joined the war on the side of the Syrian government in 2015. The Russian plane was shot down over the town of Khan al-Subl near the city of Saraqeb, close to a major highway where the Syrian army and Iranian-backed militias are trying to advance, a rebel source said. Although the Russian pilot escaped the crash, he was killed by rebels who had tried to capture him, the source said.

Tharir al-Sham, a jihadist group spearheaded by the former Syrian branch of al Qaeda, claimed responsibility for shooting down the plane, saying one of its fighters had scored a direct hit with a shoulder launched anti-aircraft missile. Senior commander Mahmoud Turkomani said in a statement released by the group, said: "This work is the least we can do to revenge our people. Let the criminal invaders know that our skies are not a picnic and they will not pass through without paying a price God willing." Russia's Defence Ministry also said that the aircraft was downed by a portable surface-to-air missile. The pilot reported that he had ejected by parachute, and he was later killed on the ground. It said: "The pilot died in a fight with terrorists."</s>A RUSSIAN pilot who ejected from his fighter jet after it was shot down in northwestern Syria has been killed after landing alive on the ground, according to a Syrian human rights monitoring group.

“Rebel factions shot down a Sukhoi 25,” confirmed Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

“The Russian pilot came down in a parachute, before being captured,” confirmed Mr Rahman.

He could not immediately confirm which faction had downed the plane but hard line opposition groups and the jihadist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham are active in Idlib.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

A Syrian militant in the area told the Associated Press that the Russian pilot was shot and killed when he resisted capture by opening fire from his pistol on the militants who tried to capture him alive.

Moscow has not confirmed the downing of its plane or the killing of a pilot.

The militant refused to be identified by his real name because was not authorised to speak to the media.

Video of the jet being shot down has been posted online.

Syrian troops launched a fierce offensive on Idlib in late December, with backing by Russian warplanes.

Opposition factions have shot at Syrian regime planes in the past, but downing Russian warplanes is much rarer.</s>Al Qaeda-linked militants in Syria down a Russian warplane, killing its pilot after he ejects from the plane and lands on the ground in the embattled north-western province of Idlib.

Al Qaeda-linked militants in Syria have shot down a Russian warplane, killing its pilot after he ejected from the plane and landed on the ground in the embattled north-western province of Idlib.

The pilot resisted being captured and fired at the militants who then shot and killed him, according to one of the militants and Syrian monitors.

The Russian Defence Ministry confirmed the downing of the Sukhoi Su-25 ground attack plane and said the pilot was killed in fighting with "terrorists".

A report on the ministry's Zvezda TV said preliminary information indicated the plane was shot by a portable ground-to-air missile in an area under control of Al Qaeda's branch in Syria.

Video posted on social media appeared to show the plane being hit, while other video showed burning wreckage on the ground, with a red star on a wing.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the plane was downed on Saturday afternoon local time near the rebel-held town of Saraqeb, which Syrian troops have been trying to take under the cover of Russian airstrikes.

Monitoring groups say there have been dozens of Russian airstrikes in the area over the past 24 hours.

A Russian strike from an undisclosed high-precision weapon killed more than 30 militants in the area where the Russian plane was downed, TASS news agency quoted Russia's Defence Ministry as saying.

At least five civilians were killed in another bombing which residents blamed on Russian jets.

The UN says 100,000 civilians have been displaced from the area in just the past month.

Syria's state news agency SANA said Syrian troops captured a nearby village and hill, cutting links between Saraqeb and the rebel stronghold of Maarest al-Numan to the south.

Syrian Government forces and their allies launched a push into Idlib six weeks ago, inching closer to a key highway that connects Syria's two largest cities, Damascus and Aleppo.

Russia is a key ally of President Bashar al-Assad, and has been waging a military campaign on behalf of his forces since 2015.

Russia's Defence Ministry regularly says it targets only hardline Islamist militants in Syria.

Meanwhile, fighting raged on Saturday between Turkish troops and allied Syrian opposition fighters, and a Syrian Kurdish militia in the northern Syrian enclave of Afrin.

The Turkish military said two of its soldiers were killed in Syria and a third was killed on the Turkish side of the border in an attack by Syrian Kurdish militiamen.

Syria's civil war, now entering its eighth year, has killed hundreds of thousands of people and driven more than 11 million from their homes.
The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports that unidentified rebel factions have shot down a Russian Sukhoi Su-25 jet over the Idlib Governorate, near Maarrat al-Nu'man, also killing its pilot. The pilot had escaped with his parachute but was killed on the ground while he fought with a pistol to evade capture. No groups claim responsibility. Russia's Ministry of Defence corroborates this version of events.