Yesterday, ISIS fighters succeeded to destroy a SyAAF Mi-17 immediately after landing at the area of Al Assad Hospital at the western part of Deir EzZour city by targeting it by an ATGM.
The helo in question is said to be delivering food and medication from Qamishli with four persons on board, all are KIA as reported.
The footage of this VIDEO published by Amaq News shows that the ATGM could be as far as little more than 2km to the east of the target at the outskirt of the city.
On 18th June 2017, a SyAAF Mi-17 carrying the serial 2948 and piloted by Col. Issa Ezzeddin "العقيد عيسى عز الدين" was damaged beyond repair while attempt to land in Qamishli IAP after facing serious technical issues.
It's good to mention that this is the 17th confirmed loss of such type of aircraft since the beginning of the current unrest.
On 18th June 2017, a SyAAF Su-22M-4 belongs to No.827 squadron from T4 AB and piloted by Lt. Col. Fahd Ali "العقيد فهد علي" was shot down by a US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet to the south of Raqqa city.
Most pro-regime FB pages reported the pilot ejected safely with minor injuries and was returned to Damascus while actually he is caught POW by SDF personnel.
Yesterday, 5th June 2017, a SyAAF MiG-23MLD (23-22B) carrying the serial 2797 operating from Dmeyr AB and piloted by Brig. General Kamil Ahmad Smita "العميد كميل أحمد سميطة" was shot down by insurgents and crashed in Tal Dakwa area (around 30km to the south east of Dmeyr AB).
The footage of the crash site can be seen HERE. The available photos of the corpse of the pilot explains he ejected but too late.
Yesterday, a SyAAF MiG-21bis from No. 679 squadron operating from Hama AB and piloted by Col. Mohammad Sawfan "العقيد محمد صوفان" was shot down by rebels and subsequently crashed in Turkish territory nearby the borders; the pilot in question has successfully ejected but been arrested and taken to a hospital in Antakya.
The Fishbed pilot whom was suspended from flight some years back, was returned to service recently; it's believed this was his first sortie after suspension.
A recording for the last conversation between the pilot and the GC I received, clearly shows the pilot was dis-oriented due to a technical failure malfunctioned the compass first then the whole navigation system. After that the pilot couldn't recognize his way back to base -as requested by the GC- which put him under range of AAA of Ahrar Al-Sham rebels.
Yesterday, 5th Feb. 2017, a SyAAF Su-22M-3 operating from Neyrab AB and piloted by Lieutenant Col. Bassel Saleh "المقدم باسل صالح" crashed on the approach to land in the said airfield resulting in the death of the pilot.
The aircraft in question was deployed from Dmeir AB to Neyrab AB just few days back together with another aircraft of the same type.
Although the photo above shows the serial 3013 but it is still unconfirmed if the same aircraft was crashed.
Last Sunday, 8th Jan. ISIS fighters damaged two L-39s parked inside the double-HAS at the furthest western side of Deir EzZour airfield by ATGMs fired from a considerably close distance; the whole footage can be seen in this VIDEO.
Providing that no reports raised from Deir EzZour about night sorties of SyAAF units which the L-39 becomes famous with; add to that the area aside the HAS is kinda empty of trucks and personnel, I can say these two Albatroses were stored and not airworthy for period; eventually, both the aircraft caught fire and completely melt down.
One wonders how SyAAF did not arrange any measure to protect these easy-to-maintain aircraft which were spotted by ISIS fighters in a video from the same area published last September.
