BEIRUT, Jan 19 —Syrian Al Qaeda-linked militant group Nusra Front said it had shot down a Syrian military cargo plane which crashed over the weekend killing at least 35 soldiers, but the Syrian regime said the plane went down in bad weather.
The Syrian transport plane was flying amid heavy fog late Saturday night when it crashed. It was carrying 35 crew members and supplies, including ammunition and food.
Quoting military sources, the Syrian state broadcaster said that the plane crashed while attempting to land at Abu al-Duhur military airport in Idlib province, Reuters reported.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the aircraft hit an electricity pylon before it crashed, killing all on board. But Islamic militant group Nusra Front claimed its insurgents had shot down the cargo plane.
A number of Syrian air force warplanes and helicopters have been shot down in the four years since the Syrian civil war broke out. — Reuters
