1st LD: IS downs Syrian warplane in Deir al-Zour, pilot dead

The Islamic State (IS) group downed a Syrian warplane in the eastern province of Deir al-Zour on Sunday, the Syrian national TV said, adding that the pilot was "martyred."

The Syrian warplane was engaged in striking the IS positions in al-Tharda Mountain when it was shot down, said the report.

A day earlier, the U.S.-led anti-terror coalition struck Syrian military positions in al-Tharda, killing 90 Syrian soldiers and injuring 110 others, which enabled the IS terrorists of taking over the mountain.

Later in the evening, the Syrian army under Russian air cover succeeded to recapture all fallen bases in al-Tharda, according to the state TV.

The Syrian government accused the United States of supporting the IS, urging the international community to condemn the attack.

The U.S. strike marked the first U.S.-led attack on Syrian army positions since the coalition started its operations in Syria in late 2014.

The Pentagon said the U.S. strike has unintentionally targeted the Syrian government forces.

Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the U.S.-led airstrikes targeted government positions for over 40 minutes, adding that the Russian counter offensive against the IS militants in al-Tharda killed 38 IS militants.

The UK-based watchdog group said al-Tharda Mountain was the most important base of the Syrian army, adding that if it wasn't recaptured, the regime forces would have started collapsing in areas under their control in Deir al-Zour. Endit