Syrian jet crashes in southern Turkey

ANKARA, March 5:(Xinhua) - A Syrian jet crashed on Saturday in southern Hatay province of Turkey, Dogan News Agency reported.

The cockpit was empty when Turkish gendarmerie and paramedic teams reached the wreckage of the aircraft, Hatay Governor Erdal Ata said.It is believed that the pilots had bailed out and escaped, he said.Local villagers also claimed that the pilots had landed with parachute, the agency reported.

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said earlier that it was not clear whether the crashed MIG-23 warplane is in Turkish territory.In a separate statement, an opposition group Ahrar al-Sham appeared to claim responsibility for the downing of the jet. RSS