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Turkey hits record number of fighter jets on Syrian border

Xinhua, May 20, 2015 Adjust font size:

Turkish Armed Forces hit record number with 10 F-16 fighter jets patrolling the Syrian border, a Turkish military statement said Wednesday.

Initially two to six Turkish fighters jets conducted routine patrol missions on the war-torn Syria border, but the number increased to 10 on Tuesday, according to the statement issued by the Turkish General Staff.

Syrian SA-type air defense systems "harassed" two Turkish F-16s for 45 seconds on Tuesday, the statement added.

On Saturday, Turkish jets shot down a Syrian military helicopter "over violation of Turkish airspace" near the Syrian border.

"A Syrian helicopter was downed after violating seven miles of the border for five minutes in Cilvegozu (border crossing)," Turkish Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz told reporters.

However, Syria's official TV said the downed aircraft was a small remotely controlled surveillance plane.

In 2013, Turkish warplanes shot down a Syrian helicopter on the border after the chopper allegedly violated Turkish airspace.

In June 2012, Syrian air defense shot down a Turkish fighter jet which allegedly penetrated Syrian territorial waters. Endit