Russian IL-20 plane carrying 14 servicemen missing in Syria
The Hmeymim airbase in Syria lost contact with the crew of the Russian IL-20 aircraft on the evening of September 17, according to an announcement from the Russian Ministry of Defense.
 |
| IL 20 aircraft. Photo: Kirill Naumenko |
On September 17, a source in the security agency said that Syria's air defense system repelled a missile attack on the city of Latakia.
Syrian military sources confirmed that the attack was launched from the sea, and that some missiles were shot down before reaching their targets.
It is reported that an IL 20 disappeared from air control radar screens when four Israeli F-16s attacked Syria's Latakia province.
Additionally, during the same period, the Russian air traffic control radar network recorded a missile launch from the French destroyer Auvergne, which was present in the area.
According to data from the Russian military, there were 14 servicemen on board the IL-20, their fate is currently unknown.
The Russian command at the Hmeymim airbase immediately launched a search and rescue operation.
