A Syrian fighter jet was reportedly downed in the Aleppo province earlier today. “A warplane was exposed to [a] surface-to-air missile during its reconnaissance mission over the countryside of Aleppo which led to its downfall,” the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported. SANA, which is the Syrian government’s propaganda arm, blamed “terrorist organizations” and said “work is underway to rescue” the pilot, who parachuted from the plane before it crashed.There are conflicting reports concerning how the aircraft was hit.
But jihadists are celebrating the news. And Ahrar al Sham, an al Qaeda-linked group, has apparently claimed responsibility for bringing down the warplane.
A self-declared al Qaeda operative known as Abu Saeed al Hollandi tweeted earlier today that Ahrar al Sham has claimed credit. According to al Hollandi, Al Nusrah Front took custody of the jet’s pilot after he parachuted from the burning plane.
Al Hollandi says that Al Nusrah is investigating which party was responsible for downing the SU-22, but this may not be true. Al Nusrah, which is al Qaeda’s official branch in Syria, works closely with Ahrar al Sham on the battlefield. It is likely that Al Nusrah already knows Ahrar was responsible if that is indeed the case.
Screen shots of Abu Saeed al Hollandi’s tweets, including a photo of the pilot, can be seen below.
Ahrar al Sham has posted photos of the plane’s wreckage and a video that appears to show the jet moments after being hit. Ahrar’s tweets and photos can also be seen below. Some jihadist Twitter feeds have even posted photos of people taking selfies with the “hero” who allegedly fired the missile.
The plane crashed near Talat al-‘Iss in southern Aleppo. Al Nusrah overran the hill and a nearby village just days ago in a newly-launched offensive. [See LWJ report, Al Nusrah Front, allies launch offensive south of Aleppo.]
Al Nusrah and its allies are attempting to regain the initiative from the Assad regime and its battlefield allies, who have advanced under the cover of Russian air power since last fall.
Abu Saeed al Hollandi’s tweets:
Ahrar al Sham’s photos and tweets:
A selfie with the jihadist who allegedly brought down the SU-22:
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via Defense News