Russian killed 30 militants after warplane downed in Syria

Russia said an airstrike left more than 30 militants dead in an area of Syria’s Idlib province after one of its warplanes was brought down on Saturday and its pilot killed, according to reports.

The pilot of the Russia Su-25 died in a fight with militants after ejecting by parachute and opening fire on militants from an Al Qaeda-linked group when they tried to capture him alive, according to Syrian monitors and a militant.

The warplane came down near the rebel-held town of Saraqeb, which Syrian troops have been trying to take under the cover of Russian air strikes. The death of the pilot was confirmed by Russian news agency TASS which quoted the defence ministry as saying that 30 militants had been killed in the strike.

A video circulating on social media showed a lifeless body of a man, his face stained with blood, as bearded gunmen stand around him. One of the armed men shouts: "He is Russian".

The authenticity of the video could not be independently confirmed.

Russia is a key ally of President Bashar Assad, and has been waging a military campaign on behalf of his forces since 2015.

Since then, Syrian government forces have captured wide parts of the country and in recent weeks have been marching in the rebel-held north-western province of Idlib.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights had reported more than 35 air strikes on Saraqeb since late Friday and many of its residents were fleeing.