Al-Qaeda forces in the Idlib Province had a rare success in shooting down a Syrian warplane in the area. The Su-22 jet had just taken off from Homs Province, and was shot down near Khan Sheikhoun.
Details on shooting down the plane are still not clear, beyond it being
done by al-Qaeda’s Tahrir al-Sham. The Syrian Observatory for Human
Rights reports that the pilot was captured, though Syrian state media
made no such reports.
Though the rebels in Idlib are known to have anti-aircraft weapons, the
indications are that the Su-22 was actually shot down with heavy machine
gun fire. Syria rarely loses planes over rebel area.
The loss of a pilot could be a politically embarrassing situation for
Syria, if it turns out to be accurate. Negotiating an exchange would
probably be at least attempted, assuming al-Qaeda doesn’t immediately
execute him.
Al-Qaeda Forces Shoot Down Syrian Warplane Over Idlib
Observatory claims the pilot was captured
Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.
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