AhlulBayt News Agency - A Syrian Air Force MIG-21 fighter jet crashed, Sunday morning, only minutes after taking off from Hama military airbase, killing its pilot.
The aircraft crashed in a depopulated nearby area located 1.5 km to the east of the airbase. no casualties reported.
A military source from the base reported that the crash was due to a technical failure, categorically denying attacks from anti-government groups.
“The jet was just taking off for a combat mission against ISIS in al-Raqqa when the pilot radioed us to report a technical failure.
He could have ejected himself from the cockpit but this would have caused the aircraft to crash in a densely-populated residential area. He struggled to avoid the disaster”.
The pilot was identified as Major Ayham Khardra.
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