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On March 3, Turkey shot down a L-39 warplane of the Syrian Air Force over the Syrian province of Idlib, the Turkish Defense Ministry reported.
The statement followed a series of reports by pro-Turkish sources that a Sytrian fighter jet bombing al-Qaeda members moderate rebels in the region was targeted by Turkish forces. The warplane reportedly crashed somewhere near Maarat al-Numan (the government-controlled area).
The crew of the L-39 is 2 people. One of the pilots is reportedly dead. The fate of the second one is unknown. (UPDATE: The second pilot survived the incident and was rescued by Syrian troops)
Başarıyla devam eden Bahar Kalkanı Harekatı kapsamında Rejime ait bir L-39 tipi savaş uçağı düşürülmüştür.
— T.C. Millî Savunma Bakanlığı (@tcsavunma) March 3, 2020
The downed L-39 became the third Syrian warplane targeted by Turkish forces over Idlib in the recent days. On March 1, the Turkish Armed Forces shot down 2 Su-24 jets of the Syrian Air Force.
The Turkish leadership is apparently very sad that its army and al-Qaeda proxies failed to keep control over the strategic town of Saraqib on the M5 highway and is now trying to turn the tide of the ongoing conflict into own favour.
