Amid Syria's Civil War, A James Bond-style Rescue Operation

BEIRUT (AP) — In the whirlwind of Syria's civil war, two Russian pilots parachuted from their aircraft into a chaotic front-line mountainous region near the border with Turkey after their aircraft was hit by a Turkish F-16 fighter jet. A look at the complex rescue operation offers a glimpse at the complicated, often rugged terrain in Syria's civil war, where the front-lines are blurry. Multiple groups with shifting alliances are fighting on the ground and the sky is crowded with aircraft bombing various targets. Adding to the day's dramatic events, one of two Russian helicopters sent to the crash site to search for survivors was also hit by rebel fire, killing one serviceman and forcing the chopper to make an emergency landing, the Russian military said. The area is mostly inhabited by Syrian Turkmen, an ethnic minority with close ties to Turkey, and has recently been the site of heightened military activity amid a Syrian ground offensive and Russian airstrikes. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said the operation to rescue the pilot was conducted jointly by Russian and Syrian special forces and lasted 12 hours, ending at 0040 GMT Wednesday.

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