Russian aircraft downed in Syria, 5 killed

All five people aboard a Russian transport helicopter in Syria on Monday were killed when the aircraft was shot down.

The incident occurred when the helicopter was flying over the Idlib province, returning to its air base on the Syrian coast after delivering humanitarian supplies to the city of Aleppo, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

“From what we know from information provided by the Defense Ministry, all those who were on the helicopter died,” Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman told the press.

The downing of the plane was the deadliest single incident for the Russian military since it began fighting in the Syrian Civil War in support of President Bashar Assad. No group has yet claimed responsibility.

Outside of Syria and the military, however, a homemade bomb brought down a Russian passenger plane over Egypt last November, killing 224 people. The Islamic State (ISIS) terror group claimed full responsibility.

By: Atara Beck, World Israel News