Turkish F-16s shot down a Syrian MIG-23 on Sunday, which Turkey said had crossed into its air space, in an area of heavy fighting between the government and rebels for the control of a border crossing.
“A Syrian plane violated our airspace,” Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan announced. “Our F-16s took off and hit this plane. Why? Because if you violate my airspace, our slap after this will be hard,” he added. (Reuters, 23 March)
Syria condemned the “blatant aggression” and said its jet was pursuing rebel fighters inside Syria. It said the pilot had managed to eject before the plane crashed.
The Turkish general staff said one of its control centers detected two Syrian MIG-23s around 1 pm (1100 GMT) and warned them four times after they came close to the Turkish border.
“One plane entered Turkish airspace at Yayladagi, east of the Kasab border crossing, it said. A Turkish F-16 fired a missile at the Syrian jet and it crashed around 1,200 meters (1,300 yards) inside Syrian territory,” Reuters reported.
The rebels have been facing serious setbacks in recent days in their fight against the Syrian military, backed by Iran, Lebanese Hezbollah, and other Iranian-backed Shia militias. Last week, they were forced to retreat from their symbolic power center, a crusader castle near the Lebanese frontier and town on a vital cross-border supply route.
Since Friday, however, the rebels have launched a counter-offensive and have attempted to take control of Kasab crossing, one of the few border crossings with Turkey still under the government control and the gateway to the coastal province of Latakia, which has remained an Assad stronghold.
There were reports that the rebels also launched another attack in Latakia on Sunday in the village of Solas, about 25 km (15 miles) south of Kasab. (Reuters, 23 March)
There were reports that the rebels also launched another attack in Latakia on Sunday in the village of Solas, about 25 km (15 miles) south of Kasab. (Reuters, 23 March)
File photo: Turkish jet fighters (Reuters)
Erdogan has supported the Wahhabi cannibals who are now losing and the Syrian Arab Army is about to secure the last border posts in this mountainous Kasab region where the borders are barely defined and there are many parrots beaks that run into Syrian and Turkish territory. A MIG 23 flying a strafing run at 600 knots plus can easily stray into Turkish airspace, however, this was not the case as the pilot ejected safely on Syrian soil. It is a shame that Turkey is supported the most vile cannibal terrorists in the region. Syrians should be moving their S-300 batteries closer to Kasab and Hatay to protect their aviation assets as they mop-up the fleeing terrorists.
ReplyDeleteSyAAF pilot Thabet Abdo Ismail successfully parachuted from stricken aircraft (MiG-23BN variant?).
ReplyDeleteThanks Mark. Al-Manar and Syrian State TV reported the same. I am glad Mr. Ismail ejected safely. Russia should be supplying the SyAAF SU-25 Frogfoots as they are much better suited for COIN and the terrain of Northern Syria. Helicopter gunships are also better suited the MIG-23ML is dedicated fighter/bomber intended to replace the agile but limited MIG-21. Syrians have the MS (Flogger E version) delivered after the 1973 Ramadan War when the MIG-21 were found deficient in endurance and weaponry. They have the updated S-21 weapons systems. Syria is flying over 80 of these and the replacements are MIG29 SMT which Iran has paid for. Syrian weapon systems are being completely synchronized with IRIAF and Artesh in general.
Deletegood to hear. it's preferable that the Syrian dictatorship's aircraft are destroyed without killing the pilots unless the pilots are dropping bombs on civilians......which isn't always the case.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIXCMLJTuys --- Interview with Syrian pilot.
ReplyDeleteTurkey blocks Youtube (and Twitter) to stop leaked tape of its plan to stage a false-flag event which could justify an invasion of Syria.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.liveleak.com/view?i=843_1395940017
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=a7e_1395964360 --- Transscript of leaked Turkish phone conversation revealing invasion ideas.
ReplyDelete