One pilot killed, another missing in Syrian warplane crash

Unverified reports have emerged that a Syrian regime warplane was shot down by rebels near the Aleppo airport, killing at least one pilot.

MENA

1 min read

The New Arab

04 December, 2016

Colonel Jaafar Hassan and Captain Tariq Maalaa were shot down at 1am last night [Twitter]

One Syrian pilot was confirmed killed and another has gone missing after a warplane was shot down by rebels in East Aleppo in the early hours of Saturday morning.

A number of Syrian media outlets report that Major Jaafar Hassan was killed during a mission, and Captain Tariq Maalaa is suspected killed.

Syrian authorities have not commented on the crash, however a Syrian general confirmed the news to Russia’s Interfax news agency.

The exact location of the L-39 Albatross warplane is not known, but it was reported to have crashed at 1am on Saturday morning in the region of the Aleppo airport in the east of Aleppo.

Conflicting reports have emerged of how the plane crashed, with some reporting that the plane was shot down and others alleging a mechanical failure on board.

Twitter Post

Translation: Colonel Jaafar Hassan and Captain Tariq Maalaa were martyred while performing an important military mission in the city of Aleppo.