Over 30 militants killed with precision-guided weapons in Syrian area where Russia's Su-25 was downed - Defense Ministry
MOSCOW. Feb 3 (Interfax-AVN) - The Russian military have delivered a strike of precision-guided weapons on the militants who downed Russia's Sukhoi Su-25 attack plane, the Defense Ministry said in a statement.
"According to radio intelligence, the strike killed over 30 militants of Jabhat al-Nusra (a terrorist group banned in Russia)," the ministry said.
"A massive strike of precision-guided weapons was delivered on the area held by the Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist group in the Idlib province from where a man-portable anti-aircraft missile complex was fired on Russia's Sukhoi Su-25 jet," the ministry said.
The Russian military have been using Kalibr precision-guided cruise missiles against militants in the course of the Syria campaign; Kalibr missiles have been launched multiple times by frigates and submarines attached to the Russian Navy's task force in the Mediterranean.
The Russian Defense Ministry said earlier that militants had downed Russia's Su-25 flying over the Idlib de-escalation area using a MANPADS.
The ministry said the pilot ejected but died in a fight with the terrorists.