Rebels down Russian jet

A RUSSIAN plane was shot down yesterday by rebels in northern Syria and the pilot was killed after trying to resist capture.

The pilot had managed to eject from the Sukhoi-25 aircraft and parachute to the ground.

He landed in an Al Qaeda-held area near Idlib and was shot dead in a gun battle, officials said. Last night the Russian defence ministry suggested the jet had been downed by a surface-to-air missile.

A video posted on social media appeared to show the pilot’s body and part of the plane’s wreckage.

Russia has been a key ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad against the rebels since 2015.