Syrian plane shot down
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Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday congratulated the military for downing a Syrian warplane near its border and warned of a "heavy" response if its airspace was violated.

"Our response from now will be heavy if you violate our airspace," Erdogan said during an election rally, referring to the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

"I congratulate the chief of general staff, the armed forces and those honourable pilots... I congratulate our air forces," said the premier.

Syria on Sunday accused its northern neighbour of "flagrant aggression" after Turkish forces shot down the warplane as it bombarded rebels near the border.

Turkish media reported that the army warned two Syrian jets approaching the border to turn away, but scrambled its F-16 jets when one refused to abide by the warning.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the plane was striking the northern province of Latakia when it was hit, catching fire and crashing in Syrian territory.

Turkish warplanes last year downed a Syrian helicopter, which Ankara said was detected two kilometres inside Turkish airspace.

Turkey toughened its rules of engagement after the downing of one of its fighter jets by the Syrian air force in June 2012, to say that any military approach of the Turkish border from Syria would be considered a threat.

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday his country's armed forces had shot down a Syrian jet after it violated Turkish airspace, confirming media reports.

"A Syrian plane violated our airspace. Our F-16s took off and hit this plane. Why? because if you violate my airspace, our slap after this will be hard," he told a rally of his supporters in northwest Turkey ahead of March 30 local elections.

Syria on Sunday accused its northern neighbour Turkey of "flagrant aggression" after Turkish forces shot down a warplane bombarding rebels near the border.

"In a flagrant act of aggression that is evidence of (Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip) Erdogan's support for terrorist groups, Turkish anti-aircraft defences shot down a Syrian military aircraft that was chasing terrorist groups inside Syrian territory at Kasab," a military source said.

A Turkish TV channel, NTV, has cited Turkey's officials who claim that their country's Armed Forces have shot down a Syrian plane after it allegedly violated Turkish air space.

The jet was downed in the northern border region with Turkey where rebels have been battling President Bashar al-Assad's forces, activists and regional media said.

It wasn't immediately clear who struck the plane down, although the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a London-based NGO, quoted local residents as saying earlier the plane had been brought down by shooting from the Turkish side of the border.

Al-Manar, the television station of Lebanon's Hezbollah group, also said two rockets were fired from Turkish territory.

Nontheless, Reuters said that Turkish media initially quoted officials as denying Turkey had shot it down and blaming it on Syrian rebels.

(Voice of Russia, Reuters, AFP)