The unidentified drone that Turkey shot down
Turkey said its warplanes shot down a drone Friday near its border with Syria, underscoring heightened hostility in the region's increasingly crowded airspace.
The aircraft was warned three times to turn back before being fired on by Turkish jets patrolling the border, the Turkish military said in a statement. It gave no further details on the drone or its origins.
Russia, which sent military aircraft into Syria last month, said none of its planes in Syria was hit. But the United States suspected that Turkish fighters targeted a Russian drone, the Reuters news agency reported, citing a U.S. official speaking on condition of anonymity.
The incident occurred during a period of escalating tension along the Syrian border since Russia began an air campaign in support of President Bashar al-Assad two and a half weeks ago.
Turkey, a NATO member, has accused Russia of intentionally violating its airspace on two occasions since then. The incidents have drawn
sharp rebukes from Turkey's NATO allies.
"Our aircraft performing patrol duty on the border fired and shot down the aircraft," the Turkish military statement said. It said Turkey acted "within the rules of engagement."
The drone went down near the village of Deliosman, in Kilis province, Turkish media reported. The province borders Syria's Aleppo province, where Syrian government forces, backed by Russian airstrikes, launched a new offensive Friday.
Turkish Foreign Minister Feridun Sinirlioglu said the drone crossed the border and flew nearly two miles into Turkey before it was shot down. Some of the wreckage was examined, and
photos of the downed drone were circulated by Turkish media outlets.
The wreckage resembled that of a small Russian-made Orlan 10 reconnaissance drone, reported the Aviationist, a blog specializing in military aviation.
The United States, Russia and Syria operate drones in the border region.
In Moscow, Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, a spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry, said no Russian aircraft had been shot down.
"
All the airplanes of the Russian aviation group in the Syrian Arab Republic have returned after accomplishing their combat tasks," Konashenkov said.
Comment: Russia has proven it means business in the War on Terrorism. Compare that to the US:
America's war on Syria: Russia's fantasy "stray missiles" versus America's real ones