US-led coalition downs Syrian warplane

The US-led coalition shot down a Syrian warplane over Syria's northern city of Raqqa, the Syrian army said in a statement.

The US-led coalition shot down the Syrian warplane on Sunday over the city of Rasafeh in the Raqqa, while the warplane was carrying out a combat mission against the Islamic State (IS) group, said the general-command of the Syrian army.

Branding the action as flagrant aggression, the Syrian army said the downing of the Syrian war jet by the US coalition is an evidence on the supportive role of the US to the terror groups, Xinhua news agency reported.

It said the attack aims at undermining the capability of the Syrian army, "the only effective power practicing its legitimate rights in fighting terrorism across the homeland".

"The attack comes at a time when the Syrian army is making strides in the war on IS terror group, which is collapsing in the Syrian desert thanks to the progress of the Syrian army and allied forces," the military statement said.

Moreover, the military statement contended that "the attack expose the standing coordination between the United States and the terrorist Daesh group".

Meanwhile, the Syrian army warned of the "dangerous repercussions" of the attack, stressing that such acts will not dissuade the Syrian army from carrying on with fighting the terrorist groups and restoring peace and security to all of Syria.

Downing the Syrian warplane comes as the Syrian army is advancing against IS in the southern and western countryside of Raqqa, while the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are fighting IS inside Raqqa, the de facto capital of IS.

--IANS

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