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Russian jet downed in Syria: what was claimed
Summary
A look back at the claims and the retaliation reported in early February 2018 after a Russian aircraft was brought down in Syria.
What was reported about the downing of a Russian jet in Syria by 6 February 2018, and who said what? The picture rested on two accounts published on 3 February 2018, both relayed through Russian news agencies.
According to Sputnik, Tahrir al-Sham, allegedly including the Al-Nusra Front, claimed in a social media post that it had shot down the Russian jet with a shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missile. The claim came from the group itself and was reported at second hand.
The Interfax agency stated that Russia retaliated with a missile attack in North-West Syria. It said the strike killed at least 30 Al-Nusra militants and was carried out with what it called precision-guided weapons.
What the accounts show
Taken together, the reports describe a rapid exchange: a claimed shoot-down using a portable missile, followed by a reported strike on the same militant grouping. Both the claim of responsibility and the casualty figure came through agencies and were not independently confirmed in the reports available.
The weapon named, a shoulder-launched missile, is notable because the claim concerned a jet rather than a larger air-defence system. The reports, however, say nothing further about the aircraft or its crew.
