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2nd LD Writethru: UN chief "seriously concerned" about downing of Russian warplane at Turkish-Syrian border

Xinhua, November 25, 2015 Adjust font size:

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday said that he is "seriously concerned" about the downing of a Russian warplane by Turkey near the Syrian border earlier in the day, voicing his hope that "a credible and thorough review of the incident will clarify the events and help prevent any recurrence."

"The secretary-general is seriously concerned over the incident resulting in the downing of a Russian military plane by the Turkish air forces earlier today," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters here.

"He urges all relevant parties to take urgent measures with a view to de-escalating tensions."

A Russian warplane was shut down over Syria near the Turkish border on Tuesday, Turkey's private NTV news channel quoted Turkish military sources as saying.

According to the Turkish military, the Su-24 had been warned 10 times in five minutes about its violation of the Turkish airspace, before two Turkish F-16 jets "interfered."

But Moscow said the plane was shot down in Syria's territory.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that the Russian Su-24 warplane, which came under attack 1 km away from the Syrian border with Turkey and crashed 4 km away, had not violated Turkey's airspace.

Russian Defense Ministry has confirmed the downing of the plane. A Russian senior military official confirmed Tuesday the death of one pilot ejected from the warplane, according to Tass news agency.

"The secretary-general hopes that a credible and thorough review of the incident will clarify the events and help prevent any recurrence," Dujarric said.

"I would like to reiterate that the secretary-general has been urging all those who are engaged in military activities in Syria, especially air campaign, to maximize operational measures to avoid unintended consequences and to do all they can to protect civilians," the spokesman said.

The secretary-general believes the worrying developments once again underscore the importance of international unity and cooperation in international action against violent extremists in the region, as well as the urgent need to agree to a solution to the tragic events in Syria, Dujarric said.

On Sept. 30, Russia launched its first airstrikes against IS targets in Syria. Enditem