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Russia Threatens “Adequate Response” Against Israel For Downed Plane

Update 3: Moscow Accuses Israel Of Using Downed Russian Jet As “Cover” During Syrian Attack

Update 2: The Russian Ministry of Defense cleared up the confusion surrounding the overnight downing of a Russian Ilyushin-20 reconnaissance plane on Tuesday when a spokesman revealed that Israel was indeed responsible for the attack, which resulted in the deaths of 15 Russian servicemen.

According to the Wall Street Journalthe plane was accidentally brought down by an aging Syrian S-200 defense system after Russia had scrambled its jets to respond to an attack by four Israeli F-16s on Syrian government targets. Israeli notified Russia of its attack over a shared hotline less than a minute before beginning the strike, giving the Kremlin little time to respond.

“As a result of the Israeli military’s irresponsible actions 15 Russian servicemen died,” said Defense Ministry Spokesman Gen. Igor Konashenkov.

Israel has carried out roughly 200 strikes in Syria over the past year and a half as it pushes back against Tehran’s growing presence in the war-torn battle zone.

Moscow has the right to “respond adequately” to the attack, Konashenkov said.

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Update: In a breaking report CNN has cited Pentagon officials who say the missing Russian aircraft with 14 service members on board, now subject of a Russian search-and-rescue operation, was accidentally shot down by Syrian missile defense.

Pentagon sources say further that Israel was responsible for the nighttime attack, which reportedly involved strikes by air and possibly by sea from the Mediterranean. Israel has yet to issue comment. 

But Russia says its radar picked up a French warship firing in the area just before the Russian patrol aircraft went down

According to CNN

A Russian maritime patrol aircraft with multiple personnel on board was inadvertently shot down by Syrian regime anti-aircraft artillery on Monday after the Syrians came under attack by Israeli missiles, according to a US official with knowledge of the incident.

The US official said the regime was actually trying to stop a barrage of Israeli missiles. A second official confirmed that Israel was responsible for the missile strikes on the Syrian regime.

 

The Pentagon sources cite a radio broadcast in making the claim of an accidental shootdown, however it’s not clear if their assessment is based on actual US intelligence or speculation.

The CNN report continues:

The US found out about the incident because Syrian forces broadcast an emergency search and rescue radio call on an international frequency. The US then got a direct message from another country about the type of aircraft and circumstances of the incident. The official would not identify that country, but it is likely that Russia is the only nation that would know exactly what type of aircraft was shot down.

The Pentagon formally denied any US role in the attack soon after it was first reported.

This is sure to evoke a new round of dangerous and fierce US-Russia controversy over Syria as already there are accusations and counter-accusations amidst the breaking reports. 

* * *

 

Earlier:

The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) reports in the aftermath of Monday night’s wide-scale attack on multiple locations in Syria that a Russian military Il-20 aircraft with 14 service members on board is not detectable via radar, and that a rescue mission is underway.

And alarmingly RT claims the following citing the Russian Defense MinistryRussian radars also registered the launch of missiles from a French frigate in the Mediterranean on the evening of September 17. The MoD also said it observed a French frigate in the area at the time. 

Reports TASS via a Russian defense official:

“On September 17, at about 11:00 Moscow time, the connection with the crew of the Russian Il-20 aircraft was lost over the Mediterranean Sea when the plane was returning to the airbase of Khmeimim, 35 kilometers from the coast of Syria,” the official said.

The ministry specified that “the mark of IL-20 went off the radars disappeared during the attack of four Israeli F-16 aircraft on Syrian targets in the province of Latakia.”

“At the same time, the Russian radars fixed missile launches from the French frigate Auvergne, which was in that area,” the Defense Ministry said.

The official also said that there were 14 servicemen on board and their fate is unknown. The command of Russia’s air base at Khmeimim launched a search and rescue operation.

 

Source: www.zerohedge.com

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