The Russian ministry of defence said initial investigations showed the aircraft was not shot down
Two Russian pilots have died in a helicopter crash over rebel territory in Syria.
A spokesperson for Russia’s ministry of defence said the Mi-28N attack helicopter came down in Homs province in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
“The bodies of the dead pilots were removed during search and rescue operations and are currently at the Hmeymim Airbase,” he added.
Activists put the location of the wreckage in rebel-held territory outside of Homs city, where Russian air strikes have recently been reported.
Local opposition groups, al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusraand Islamist group Ahrar ash-Sham are known to be active in the area.
The pilots’ deaths bring the number of Russian servicemen killed in Syria since the country’s intervention started in September to at least eight.
