The origins of the drone in question are as yet unverified.
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The Lebanon-based pro-Syrian Al-Mayadeen TV quoted an unidentified Syrian military official as saying that no Syrian or Russian warplane or drone was shot down over Turkey.
“Today, in our country’s airspace near the Syrian border, an unknown aircraft was detected”. The incidents have drawn sharp rebukes from Turkey’s North Atlantic Treaty Organisation allies.
The aircraft was shot down after it did not respond to three warnings from the Turkish air force, according to the statement. It warned the air force would “decisively” implement Turkey’s rules of engagement. It crashed inside Turkey’s borders.
“Whose this downed drone is, you either guess or find out yourselves”, the general said.
Battlefield commanders in Ukraine are familiar with these surveillance drones – Moscow is widely believed to operate at least 16 types in theater – and how Russian-backed forces use them to call in artillery.
Russian aircraft have repeatedly violated Turkish airspace since the beginning of the month, prompting warnings from Ankara.
The Russian Defense Ministry said all its warplanes had returned to their base in Syria after completing missions and that its drones were operating normally.
On Saturday there were reports the Turkish military had blasted a Russian jet out of the sky after it violated its airspace.
Turkey’s NTV television, without citing its sources, said the object was a drone, and it had fallen three kilometers (1.85 miles) inside Turkish territory.
The country adopted strict rules of engagement in 2012, after one of its F4 jet fighters was downed by Syria.
“In the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union UAV R&D was neglected, and it is only in the past decade or so that Russian Federation has re-focused attention on this area of military capability”, he said.
North Atlantic Treaty Organisation said Friday that Turkey has not asked it for help since the aircraft was downed.
A USA official said the drone was Russian, but Moscow strongly denied ownership.
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“We are now seeing a coordinated effort between Iran and Russian Federation to assist Assad with fighting opposition groups”, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
