Russia Unleashes Heavy Bombardment on Region Held By Turkmen Rebels Who Chanted ‘Allahu Akbar’

Russian forces launched at least a dozen airstrikes against insurgent-held areas near the Turkey-Syria border where the Sukhoi SU-24 fighter jet was shot down by the Turkish army yesterday.

Heavy bombardment hit areas controlled by Turkmen rebels, the group claiming to have shot and killed one of the pilots of the Russian jet as he parachuted out of the flaming wreckage, and attempted to kill his co-pilot.

The rebel group released a video showing them cheering and chanting 'Allahu Akbar' as they discovered the body of Lieutenant Colonel Oleg Peshkov, who will now receive Russia's highest state honour posthumously.

President Vladimir Putin today confirmed that the surviving pilot, identified as Captain Konstantin Murahtin, had been rescued by Russian military in a 12-hour long joint operation with Syrian government forces, and taken to a Russian air base.

Cpt Murahtin was rescued from an unnamed rebel group by Russian military, in a 12-hour long joint operation with Syrian government forces, and taken to a Russian air base on Wednesday morning