Syria confirms shooting down Turkish warplane
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E-mail Xinhua, June 23, 2012
A Syrian military spokesman said a Turkish fighter jet had penetrated the Syrian airspace earlier on Friday and it was shot down by Syrian army with anti-aviation artillery, adding it was dealt with in accordance to the applicable laws.
In a statement aired on Syria's TVs, the unnamed source said around 11:40 a.m. Friday, "an unknown flying object" penetrated the Syrian airspace over the Syrian territorial waters, adding that the target was flying at a low height and at a very high speed.
The source said that the Syrian areal defiance systems had responded with anti-aviation artillery when the object was at a distance of one kilometer off the shore, adding that the object was set ablaze and went down at a distance of 10 kilometers off the Syrian shores.
"Later on, the object has turned to be a Turkish warplane that penetrated our airspace and it was dealt with in accordance to the applicable laws," the source said.
The source said coordination with Turkish forces is underway to find the two pilots that were onboard and the Turkish forces have sent choppers in order to locate the whereabouts of the missing pilots.
Media reports said three Syrian vessels have joined the search for the pilots.
