Syrian Army: Downed Helicopter Not on Combat Mission

The Syrian army slammed the Turkish warplanes’ shooting down of a Syrian military helicopter as hasty saying the helicopter was not on a combat mission.
Syrian Army: Downed Helicopter Not on Combat Mission The army statement described Turkey’s move in downing the helicopter as “hasty”, adding that Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan’s government is trying to escalate tensions with such a move.

“Given that the helicopter was on its way back and that it was not on a combat mission, the hasty Turkish reaction is proof of the true intentions of Erdogan’s government towards Syria, which are to create tension and escalate the situation at the border between the two countries,” it added.

The statement also noted that the military helicopter was “lost… while it was on a reconnaissance mission to monitor the infiltration of terrorists via the Turkish border”.

On Monday, Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc told reporters that a Syrian MI-17 helicopter was downed over the southern province of Hatay after it strayed two kilometers into Turkish airspace.

Arinc said there was no information about the fate of the crew because the helicopter fell on Syrian soil. He also noted that Turkish air defense had repeatedly warned the Syrian helicopter to leave Turkey’s airspace before being hit by missiles.