ISTANBUL — Turkish fighter jets shot down a Syrian warplane Sunday after it violated the country’s airspace, Turkey’s prime minister said, in a move likely to ramp up tensions between two countries at odds over Syria’s civil war.
A spokesman for Syria’s military confirmed the incident, denouncing it as a “blatant aggression.” The spokesman quoted on Syrian state TV said the plane was hit while pursuing gunmen near the border and that the pilot safely ejected from the aircraft. Syria’s official SANA news agency quoted the pilot as saying that he was shot down while 5 miles inside Syrian airspace.
In a statement, the Turkish military said a Syrian MiG-23 entered Turkey’s airspace near the Hatay border zone after ignoring four warnings to turn back.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan congratulated the military, and said the strike should serve as a warning against further incursions. “If you violate our border, our slap will be hard,” he said.
The Associated Press
