The Mi-8 transporter was brought down by rebels, Russian Federation says, in northern Idlib province.
Advertisement
A Russian helicopter was shot down on Monday over Idlib province, killing all five people on board.
Jihadists allied with anti-Assad rebels on July 31 launched an attack on Syrian regime forces in an effort to break the siege on Aleppo.
Russia’s Defence Ministry announced the downing of the helicopter, which it said was carrying three crew and two officers.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has slammed as a false information release the media reports that toxic gas was allegedly dispersed in the area where a Russian helicopter was earlier shot down in Syria.
Peskov said the Russians “died heroically because they tried to move the aircraft away so to minimize losses on the ground”.
It was not immediately clear who was responsible.
The incident marks the single deadliest incident for Russian Federation since entering the civil war in Syria.
He ordered a partial withdrawal of Russian forces from Syria in March, but military operations continued, although at a lower intensity.
The Kremlin said the team had delivered aid to Aleppo and the helicopter was downed as they returned to base.
Idlib province has a strong presence of fighters from the Nusra Front and other groups fighting Syrian President Bashar Assad’s forces.
Worldwide human rights groups have repeatedly accused Russian Federation of using cluster munitions against civilians and rebels since it began its aerial campaign in Syria previous year to shore up Assad’s forces.
Syrian state news agency, SANA, said 20 civilians had been killed and dozens wounded since Sunday in shelling, rocket fire and sniper attacks in government-held neighbourhoods.
On the rebel side, a range of rebel groups, including hardline Islamists and more moderate groups that have enjoyed U.S. backing, are fighting inside Aleppo.
Regarding the idea of setting up “humanitarian corridors” that would allow aid to be delivered without hindrance, and civilians to flee the besieged areas safely, Mr. Dwyer said that such arrangements must be run by the United Nations humanitarian team and partners.
The Britain-based monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the offensive was the largest against government forces since Aleppo, once Syria’s commercial hub, became a focus of the five-year-old war several months ago.
About 2,50,000 civilians are believed to be living in the rebel-controlled territory and their plight has drawn growing global alarm. Taking a detour from the north would be too risky, he added.
Facing off against them are thousands of fighters from the Fateh al-Sham Front and allied groups, according to the Observatory.
A Syrian security source acknowledged the assault but said government forces had repelled it.
According to a report by the Syrian Center for Policy Research, the conflict has claimed the lives of over 470,000 people, injured 1.9 million others, and displaced almost half of the country’s pre-war population of about 23 million within or beyond its borders.
As Moscow and Damascus on Thursday launched a large-scale humanitarian operation in Aleppo, Rudskoi confirmed seven corridors were opened for rescue and aid delivery, as well as a separate one for militants to surrender.
Advertisement
A Russian Mi-8 helicopter was on Monday shot down by ground fire in Syria after it had delivered humanitarian supplies to Aleppo.
