25 killed in Syria warplane crash

Damascus, August 3: At least 25 people were killed and ten injured on Monday when a Syrian warplane crashed into a marketplace in Syria’s Idlib province, according to reports. The plane crashed over a popular marketplace in the town of Ariha in Idlib, which fell to the Jaish al-Fateh, an alliance of al-Qaeda linked Nusra front, Xinhua news agency reported. Activists said the Jaish al-Fateh downed the warplane with anti-aircraft missiles, adding that the fate of the pilot is still unknown. Other unofficial reports from pro-government Syrian news websites said the plane crashed due to a malfunction. Sham News Network posted photos of the aftermath of the plane crash, showing destroyed buildings and a ravaged square covered with debris and broken concrete. Meanwhile, a senior Syrian officer said “there is no information about the warplane crash”. Ariha was the latest town to fall to the jihadi groups. (IANS)