Damascus, Feb 17 (IANS/EFE): At least seven Syrian military personnel, including three officers, were killed when their helicopter was attacked by jihadis in Idleb city, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Tuesday.
Fighters of the Al-Nusra Front, the Al Qaeda affiliate in Syria, fired at the helicopter, causing it to crash near the Abu al-Zuhur airbase, one of the largest bases in northern Syria and the second most important for the Syrian military in the country.
The jihadis have been besieging the airbase for several months, forcing the Syrian military to use helicopters for flying in reinforcements and supplies.
Over 200,000 people have died in Syria since the outbreak of the multi-sided civil war four years ago, according to the UN.