Islamic State Release Images Of Destroyed Russian Mi-35 Attack Helicopter

The Islamic State (IS) militant group has released pictures of destroying Russian Mi-35 attack helicopter in Syrian central district east of Homs.

“The aircraft was shot down in the Hwesis District east of Homs,” ARA News reported quoting local sources as saying Friday.

The IS on Thursday said that their fighters destroyed a Russian military helicopter after targeting it with a rocket, according to a statement released by the jihadi Amaq Agency.

Amaq released images purportedly showing the destroyed attack helicopter. Russian defense ministry in a statement said that one of its warplanes was hit by militant shells but didn’t provide any further details about the incident or the condition of the plane’s crew.

Islamic State has previously hit several warplanes over Syria. Two Russian pilots were killed when their helicopter was shot down by IS on July 9 this year. On July 22, IS blew up a Syrian warplane in Homs region. Amaq Agency as released images showing the the destroyed Syrian plane. The agency claimed the helicopter crashed after IS hit it with a rocket.

On September 23, IS claimed responsibility for shooting down a US drone that had been flying over the Iraqi-Syrian border. The drone was knocked out near Shaddadi city in Hasakah Governorate. Local sources told to ARA News that the drone crashed after being strafed with machine guns.

On September 21st, the extremist group shot down a Syrian jet in a Damascus suburb. A Syrian Army commander, at the time, told ARA News: “Shortly after taking off from the Dumair Airbase in a Damascus suburb, the warplane was targeted by terrorist fire and crashed over eastern Qalamoun.”

On October 21st, the group shot down an American warplane near the town of Margada, in Syria’s northeastern Hasakah Governorate. ISIS said it destroyed an A-10 Thunderbolt jet after riddling it with heavy machine guns.