Putin: Downing of Russian jet over Syria stab in the back by terrorist accomplices

Russian President Vladimir Putin has bitterly condemned the downing of a Russian warplane on the Turkish-Syrian border. He described it as a "stab in the back" committed by "accomplices of terrorists". Turkey says its jets shot at the plane after warning that it was violating Turkish airspace. But Moscow says it never strayed from Syrian airspace. Nato is to hold an extraordinary meeting to discuss what has happened. The two pilots ejected as their burning aircraft plunged into a Syrian hillside. Video footage has shown what appears to be the dead body of one of the flyers, surrounded by armed rebels. President Putin said the Su-24 was hit by air-to-air missiles fired by Turkish F-16s while it was flying over Syrian territory.

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