By Hakan Ceyhan Aydogan

MOSCOW (AA): Two Russian pilots were killed near the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria’s western Homs province Friday when Daesh downed a helicopter belonging to the Syrian army, the Russian Defense Ministry said Saturday.

According to an official statement released by the ministry, Russian pilots were flying a Mi-25 helicopter.

Russia’s Interfax news agency claimed in its report that an American TOW anti-tank missile system was used to down the helicopter.

Russian troops have been supporting the Bashar al-Assad regime since September 2015.

Western governments and Turkey have accused Moscow of targeting moderate opposition forces in its campaigns.

*Anadolu Agency’s Fatjon Prroni contributed to this report from Ankara.
[Photo: Smoke rises as Syrian opposition forces attack DAESH militants at Tel Batal village in Aleppo, Syria on June 4, 2016. Photographer: Hüseyin Nasır/AA]