Assad extends condolences over loss of plane in phone call with Putin

In a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad expressed condolences over the loss off Syria of a Russian Ilyushin Il-20 aircraft with 15 Russian military on board.

"That tragic incident resulted in the death of valiant Russian military carrying out a noble mission to fight terrorists in Syria," SANA news agency quoted the Syrian leader as saying.

Besides, Putin and Assad discussed supplies of Russian S-300 missiles to Syria. The two leaders also agreed to continue Moscow-Damascus contacts at different levels.

A Russian electronic surveillance Il-20 plane was downed over the Mediterranean Sea late on September 17 when it was flying back to the Russian airbase at Syria’s Hmeymim. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the plane was shot down by a missile from a Syrian S-200 air defense complex when it was firing at four Israeli F-16 aircraft attacking targets in the Latakia governorate. The Israeli pilots actually used the Russian aircraft as cover, exposing it to Syrian missiles, the ministry stressed.

A search operation is currently underway at the site of the crash west of Banias port to retrieve the remains of 15 people who were on board and fragments of the plane.

The Russian Defense Ministry has laid the blame with the Israeli air force. According to the ministry, Israel gave a minute’s warning ahead of a strike on Syrian targets, which was not enough to get the Russian plane out of the way, along with giving misleading information on Israeli F-16 strikes.