DAMASCUS, Syria, April 23 (UPI) — The Islamic State militant group claims to have captured a Syrian pilot after allegedly shooting down an MIG-23 jet.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed the downing of the jet Saturday morning, adding the pilot was captured east of Damascus, near Mount Dakwah, after successfully ejecting from the plane.
The IS, also known as ISIS, ISIL and Daesh, searched the surrounding area for hours before finding the pilot, identified as Azzam Eid, the human rights group said. Sputnik and Sky News also reported claims of the pilot’s name.
The agency also published a video allegedly showing scenes from the crash site, but the clip has not yet been independently verified. It is not clear if the aircraft crashed because of IS attacks or a technical failure.
In the clip, pieces of an aircraft smolder on rocky terrain as people in camouflage uniforms walk about.
Earlier this month, another Syrian jet, this time an SU-22 fighter, was reported to be shot down by Islamic rebel fighters near Aleppo. The pilot had ejected from the aircraft only to be allegedly captured alive by rebels.
Another video of that crash site emerged soon after the incident, showing the bloodied face of the alleged pilot as he was overwhelmed by a crowd of rebels.
