Activists: Islamic State Fighters Shoot Down Warplane

Syrian activists say Islamic State militants have shot down a plane believed to be from the U.S.-led coalition that has been targeting the group with airstrikes for the past three months. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Wednesday the plane went down near Raqqa. The city is the main stronghold for the militants who seized large areas in eastern Syria and northern and western Iraq earlier this year. The Observatory said the pilot was believed to be an Arab, and the Islamic State group released pictures it says show its fighters holding the pilot. Jordan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are all taking part in the airstrikes in Syria. There was no immediate comment from the coalition members. Since late September, the U.S.-led group has conducted about 550 airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Syria.



from Voice of America http://ift.tt/1xKYkxi