Russian Jet Il-20 Goes Missing With 14 Servicemen Aboard Off Syria
The Ministry said that the connection between the crew was lost over the Mediterranean Sea as the jet was returning to the Khmeimim air base. The investigation into the matter has been initiated.
Moscow, Sep 18: The Russian Il-20 military aircraft carrying 14 servicemen went missing from radar over the Mediterranean Sea on Monday. According to reports by the Moscow’s defence ministry, the incident comes after Syria came under attack by Israeli missiles. The Ministry informed that connection between the crew was lost over the Mediterranean Sea as the jet was returning to the Khmeimim air base. The investigation into the matter has been initiated.
According to the latest update by ANI, the Russian Defense Ministry said that the aircraft was shot down by Syrian government missiles. The Defense Ministry on Tuesday blamed the Israeli Air Force for pushing Russian aircraft into the line of fire of Syrian missiles.
Russian state news agency TASS had that the Ministry of Defence says that the plane disappeared during the Israeli attack. “Connection has been lost with the crew of a Russian Il-20 plane over the Mediterranean Sea 35km from the Syrian coast as it was returning to the Khmeimim air base,” the Russian Defence Ministry was quoted by news agency AFP. The Ministry further added saying that the jet had gone off the radar around 11 pm Monday night (5.00am AEST).
Meanwhile, according to a report by news agency Guardian, a US official on condition of anonymity saying the US government believed Syrian defences may have accidentally shot down the Russian aircraft while firing at incoming Israeli missiles. The Ministry further added that the missing aircraft, described as an IL-20 surveillance aircraft 'disappeared from radar' during the attack on Syrian and Iranian regime forces in the port city of Latakia.
Earlier in February this year, the Russian Antonov An-148 jet that departed from Moscow’s Domodedovo airport en route to the city of Orsk vanished off radar at 3,250ft when it is believed it crashed outside Argunovo village in Moscow. Reports inform that the plane, operated by Saratov Airlines, reached a height of 6,400ft before suddenly dropping a terrifying 3,000ft in just 60 seconds.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 18, 2018 08:47 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).