(Zaman Al Wasl)- Syrian rebels shot down a Russian helicopter with a TOW missile late on Tuesday in Hama province, as regime forces stepped up its aerial campaign on northwestern Syria.
Rebel group Jaish al-Azza, part of the Free Syrian Army alliance, said in a statement it had “destroyed a Russian helicopter” near the village of Allatamneh in the northern countryside of Hama city.
Fajr al-Ismael, press officer in Jaish al-Azza Rebel, said the crew is probably dead
In September 2016, Jaish al-Azza also destroyed a Syrian helicopter with TOW missile near Rahbat Khatab village.
Last week, Hayat Tahir al-Sham, former al-Qaeda group, backed by 5 rebel factions launched major attack on regime bastions in Hama and southern Idlib. The attack was the biggest in the area since March.
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that rebels had launched Idlib offensive to hinder the regime's advances in Deir Ezzor province.
At least 42 people have been killed in Russian and Syrian airstrikes on northern Idlib province since Sunday as the regime army extends its ground and aerial attacks on rebel-held areas that included in the de-escalation zone agreement, the Civil Defense rescuing group said on Tuesday.
The deadly airstrikes have also killed 40 rebel fighters from Faylaq al-Sham group in the village of Mardikh near Idlib city, opposition news feeds said.
The Russian Defense Ministry on Tuesday denied allegations that its air strikes had killed civilians in Idlib, saying that in recent days it had only bombed Islamist militant fighters in the area, Reuters reported.
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