103 Dead as Rebels Shoot Down Syrian Warplane and Army Advances in Aleppo

إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
  • W460
  • W460

A group of Syrian rebels said they captured the pilot of a warplane that the Free Syrian Army claimed to have downed Monday in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor, as authorities said the fighter jet crashed due to technical problems.

A video distributed by the "Revolutionary Youth of the Land of the Euphrates" shows a man identified as pilot Mufid Mohammed Suleiman, surrounded by three armed men. "My mission was to bomb the town of Muhasen" in Deir Ezzor, said the man.

The man, who has a light beard and is wearing a dark blue shirt, is seated at a table. "The wounds on my face were caused by the strong wind that forced me on to stones after I ejected from my plane," he said.

"The revolutionaries have treated me well and they gave me first aid assistance," he added. "They are good people."

In the same video, a captain in uniform introduced himself as Abul Laith, chief of the Ahfad Mohammed (Mohammed's Descendants) Brigade. "We will treat this prisoner in accordance with our religion and our ethics and the Geneva Convention on the treatment of prisoners."

The rebel Free Syrian Army confirmed that opposition fighters downed a military warplane in Deir Ezzor province.

"Yes, we can confirm that a MiG 21 has been downed," said FSA spokesman Kassem Saadeddine. "It was hit with a 14.5 caliber anti-aircraft machinegun."

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also backed the claim.

Meanwhile, the official SANA news agency said "a military plane encountered technical problems during a routine training mission in the east."

"The pilot ejected and searches are now under way to find him," it added.

But an amateur video posted on YouTube by activists and marked with a logo reading "The revolutionary youth from the land of the Euphrates" shows a fighter jet apparently being hit, after the sound of heavy fire is heard.

A ball of fire erupts from the plane, followed by a trail of smoke. The jet continues to fly, as it appears the plane has been hit in the tail.

"Allahu Akbar! (God is greatest)," cries an unidentified man. "A MiG plane has been hit in the town of Muhasen."

If confirmed, it would be the first time that the rebels have succeeded in downing a Syrian plane and suggests they have probably acquired ground-to-air missiles.

Meanwhile, regime forces seized the upper hand in the economic capital Aleppo on Monday as they advanced into a new rebel-held district while a rights group said 103 people were killed across the country.

Government forces also bombarded areas around Damascus and launched a wide sweep of the capital, including its once-bustling historic Old City, while shocking videos emerged showing alleged rebel atrocities in the Aleppo area.

At least 103 lost their lives on Monday: 58 civilians, 13 rebels and 32 government forces, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Syrian National Council head Abdel Basset Sayda told Agence France Presse the rebels wanted "two no-fly zones, one in the north near the Turkish border, and another in the south near the border with Jordan," in addition to "safe places for refugees and humanitarian corridors."

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Sunday that she had discussed the possibility of no fly-zones in talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu but that the issue needed more consideration.

"You cannot make reasoned decisions without doing intense analysis and operational planning," she said.

Meanwhile, grisly footage of apparent atrocities in the Aleppo area emerged, appearing to show rebels callously throwing bodies off a post office building, while another video showed a man, blindfolded and bound, as his throat was savagely cut.

A crowd gathered around several bodies crumpled on the ground outside a building said to be in al-Bab, near Aleppo, before another three victims were hurled one-by-one from the rooftop.

In another video, a blindfolded man with his hands tied behind his back is forced down on to a pavement in Aleppo, calling out: "I would rather die by a bullet."

As the group chanted "Allahu Akbar" an assailant forced what appeared to be a small knife repeatedly across his throat as his blood spurted onto the pavement.

Both sides in the increasingly vicious conflict have been accused of human rights violations as reports of cold-blooded killings mount, although the authenticity of the latest videos could not be verified.

Syria's army gained some ground as it advanced into a new rebel-held area of Aleppo, the northern metropolis seen as pivotal to the outcome of the conflict.

"With tanks, Syria's regime forces have stormed the west of the district of Saif al-Dawla," said the Observatory. "They are now clashing with the rebels, and parts of Salaheddin are being shelled."

Rebels in July took over several districts but regime forces last week reclaimed most of the Salaheddin district that neighbors Saif al-Dawla.

In Damascus, security forces arrested 22 residents in a major security sweep in the city center, including the Old City, while shells slammed into rebel strongholds around the capital, according to the Observatory.

It was biggest operation of its kind in the capital since the launch of the uprising, it said.

More than 21,000 people have been killed since March last year, with fighting escalating after the failure of outgoing international envoy Kofi Annan's peace plan.

Comments 20
Thumb jcamerican 13 August 2012, 18:33

If that was a missile, you won't see fire from the tail, it will be an explosion instead.

Default-user-icon Bubba (Guest) 13 August 2012, 18:52

"It was hit with a 14.5 caliber anti-aircraft machine gun."

johnny can't read.

Thumb jcamerican 14 August 2012, 13:50

If confirmed, it would be the first time that the rebels have succeeded in downing a Syrian plane and suggests they have probably acquired ground-to-air missiles.

Default-user-icon Murad (Guest) 13 August 2012, 22:54

There was a little explosion before the big fire. Missiles explode near the heat source and do not make contact with the plane.

Thumb thepatriot 14 August 2012, 04:16

Can't you read JC "It was hit with a 14.5 caliber anti-aircraft machinegun." Those are big fat bullets, not missiles...

Thumb jcamerican 14 August 2012, 13:54

If confirmed, it would be the first time that the rebels have succeeded in downing a Syrian plane and suggests they have probably acquired ground-to-air missiles.

Missing crusader 13 August 2012, 18:40

And again el msattil from the tayyar forum are more convinced then assad himself that it is a mechanical problem!!! Hahahahahahaha!!!! And what is is even funnier is their technical analysis.... Like the idiot above me!!!! Never thought that a aouni could be more assadi then assad himself....

Default-user-icon Achmed the dead terrorist (Guest) 13 August 2012, 22:50

the guy above you may be right - it was probably hit by anti air guns rather than stinger missile (which by the way should be a weapon that the brave syrian army should be urgently getting)
In any case, lets hope these brave men liberate Syria from the devil that is this regime...its becoming unreal how no one is helping them!
PS: Aounist's idiocy cannot be defined and Hezbelshaytan is the cancer that our country needs to get rid off...

Default-user-icon don't be silly (Guest) 13 August 2012, 19:11

montage, nah that walid mou3alem and michel aoun territory, this is legit.

Default-user-icon Starsky (Guest) 13 August 2012, 19:14

Crusader i feel with you regarding the tayyar masatil, but what i dont understand is why you even go to tayar.com. What do u expect that they talk about the power hungry assad. They are lowest type of fools in the lebanese landscape and and believe me its competitive here. At least the hizb boys believe in welayet al fakih and are true to themselves, no matter what we think about thier beliefs. But the tayar, oh the tayar, they sing and dance to someone elses tune and everything that comes out of thier stupid mouth is against what they believe...it would pay to leave them alone, otherwise you risk your sanity.

Thumb makhaleh 13 August 2012, 19:38

wow god is gr8......i wonder wats going through all these assad and hizballah supporters heads right now...when u fight for ur life and freedom,ur more powerful then the worlds strongest man champion....

Default-user-icon Alisha (Guest) 13 August 2012, 20:47

Nice blog here! Also your site loads up very fast!
What web host are you using? Can I get your affiliate link to your host?
I wish my web site loaded up as quickly as yours lol

Default-user-icon Sanctify Yourself (Guest) 13 August 2012, 21:45

From the footage, it's a MiG-27 and not MiG-21 as reported.

Default-user-icon Murad (Guest) 13 August 2012, 22:57

I don't understand. All this big whoop over one plane? There's hundreds more!

Is the pilot supposed to be a defector now or something? It sounds like he feels very safe around his "host" terrorists having to talk as if he admires them, just like the Lebanese pilgrims.

Missing gabby 13 August 2012, 22:57

This plane was hit with machine gun fire. They need missiles though.

Default-user-icon CandianLeb (Guest) 13 August 2012, 23:47

@gabby They are already receiving Manpads (stingers) but as I have read most of the Syrian jets can jam Stinger missiles, Russians have installed jamming systems against stinger missiles. They already fired many STingers without any success, this jet was shot not with a missile.
Anyway, many of you here think that after Assad, everything should be ok, but God saves Lebanon, let's see what would happen after!

Thumb shab 14 August 2012, 00:04

Fantastic

Default-user-icon Joe (Guest) 14 August 2012, 02:26

Yeah Farres

Some times the west has to fight fire with fire..all those regimes were opporessive. remember people come to teh west for medical education and tecnology...I think peoples in the west have it...in our day and age the west rules for the above reasons. Unlike the east where occupying a seat for the vanity and filling your pockets is the order of the day!

Thumb kanaandian 14 August 2012, 08:23

He should be-headed at once! Allaho AKbar!

Default-user-icon GodIsDead (Guest) 14 August 2012, 10:47

god is gr8t! really, I see no evidence of god whatsoever.
Do you?