Battlefield sources informed Al-Manar that after the Turkish fighters downed the Russian Su-24 bomber over the Syrian territories on Tuesday, a Russian helicopter, K60, moved to the area to follow and track the pilot.

Translated by Mohamed Salami

Battlefield sources informed Al-Manar that after the Turkish fighters downed the Russian Su-24 bomber over the Syrian territories on Tuesday, a Russian helicopter, K60, moved to the area to follow and track the pilot.

The sources added that 16 attack helicopters secured the operation which occurred in an area close to the positions of the terrorists who were, in turn, searching for the pilot and bombarding the Russian K60 helicopter.

"As a result the helicopter landed emergently on al-Nawba hill and all its crew returned safely. In the meantime, the communication between the joint (Russian-Syrian) operations room and the pilot continued for hours via a tracking device."

The battlefield sources pointed that before dawn Wednesday a Russia-Syrian special force managed to rescue the pilot after guiding him to Zahiya mountain which was recently liberated by the army before moving him to Hamemim airbase.

The sources noted that in addition to the 16 attack helicopters, heavy artillery Russian-Syrian shelling targeted the militants' positions and guarded the operation, adding that the pilot was in a good health despite an injury he suffered in his leg.

It is worth to note that it is the first time that the Russian troops launch an artillery attack in Syria.