IG Footage appears to show Syrian rebels blowing up a Russian helicopter

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Footage from private Turkish broadcaster Haberturk TV showed the warplane going down in flames in a woodland area, a long plume of smoke trailing behind it. The plane went down in area known by Turks as "Turkmen Mountain", it said. Two pilots managed to eject from the jet and were seen landing with the help of parachutes. The jet is reported to be a Russian Su-24 flown by a pair of Russian pilots, with one believed to have been captured by Syrian rebels from the Alweya Al-Ashar (Brigade of the 10th) which consists of Turkmen with strong links to Turkey.

Russian state media reported that the marine was killed by fighters from the Free Syrian Army rebel group who shelled search and rescue teams hunting for the two stricken airmen. A stunned reporter broke the news - which will add to growing tensions between Vladimir Putin and Turkey - by saying it "couldn't be any worse". The shocking revelations come after the militant group released a video showing one of its fighters using an American-made anti-tank gun to destroy a Russian helicopter sent into northern Syria to rescue the pair.

In the disturbing film released by the Free Syrian Army a missile can be seen travelling towards the stricken chopper, which has landed in a mountainous area, before it explodes in a huge fireball. Moments earlier a single soldier is seen assembling a US manufactured TOW portable anti-tank missile launcher on a hillside before taking aim at the helicopter. A narrator triumphantly gloats over the top of the video exclaiming "Allahu Akbar" - meaning "God is great" - as the missile hits and mangled wreckage from the craft is blasted into the air. Earlier the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights said that the search and rescue helicopter had been forced to make an emergency landing after being shot at with a missile by Syrian rebels. It was not immediately clear whether or not any Russian military personnel were in the helicopter at the time of the explosion. The shocking footage was posted on Twitter by an expert analyst in the Middle East but has not been independently verified.

#BREAKING #Russian marine dead after helicopter hit by shelling while searching for Su-24 pilots downed earlier.When u think it cant B worse — Maria Finoshina (@MFinoshina_RT) November 24, 2015

The Russian helicopter had been scrambled to the crash scene to search for survivors after the jet was shot down following 10 warnings in five minutes to leave Turkish airspace, a Turkish military official has said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed that the search and rescue helicopter was placed under fire by Syrian rebels. The helicopter pilot was forced into a landing after being hit by a rocket fired by rebels.

IG In the footage a missile (circled) can be seen approaching the stricken craft

IG The helicopter is then struck by the missile

He was initially thought to be alive but rebels have now said they have recovered both pilots' bodies. The second pilot is believed to have died in the crash after footage was released by Syrian rebels appearing to show them crowding around a body saying "Allahu Akbar" - God is Great in Arabic. A Turkish offical said: "The data we have is very clear. There were two planes approaching our border, we warned them as they were getting too close.

IG The helicopter can be seen being engulfed by a huge fireball

"We warned them to avoid entering Turkish airspace before they did, and we warned them many times. Our findings show clearly that Turkish airspace was violated multiple times. And they violated it knowingly," the official said. A second official said the incident was not an action against any specific country but a move to defend Turkey's sovereign territory within its rules of engagement. Russia is currently fighting in Syria with President Bashar al-Assad's troops against the rebels and Islamic State (ISIS). Sources say the brigade has now launched "a counter-offensive" against President Bashar and Russian troops in a bid to take back the Turkman mountains.

Russian plane shot down over Turkey Tue, November 24, 2015 A Russian Su-24 fighter jet has been shot out of the sky over the Turkish-Syrian border. Play slideshow Getty 1 of 12 Flames can be seen coming out of the fighter jet that was shot down over Turkey

The British-based organisation said that the helicopter had made an emergency landing in the province of Latakia It comes as rebel forces said that bodies of both pilots have been recovered, Al Jazeera reported. The Russian jet was just over the Syrian border when it was downed by F16 Fighting Falcon jets belonging to Turkey, the Turkish official said. TENSIONS BOIL OVER BETWEEN TURKEY AND RUSSIA: PUTIN CALLS ACT 'STAB IN THE BACK'...MORE HERE

IG The footage, posted on Twitter, has not been independently verified

IG A Syrian Free Army fighter is seen constructing the anti-tank missile

IG The rebel fighter fires on the Russian helicopter

But the Russian Defence Ministry said the plane had not violated Turkey's airspace and was flying at an altitude of 6,000 metres. Russian President Vladimir Putin has called an emergency meeting over the downing of the jet and unverified sources have claimed Russia is currently sending a warship across the Dardenelles from the Black Sea into the Mediterranean. NATO has announced it will be holding an extraordinary session at 4.30pm GMT after Turkey requested it following the incident. Two pilots managed to eject from the jet and were seen landing with the help of parachutes. The jet is reported to be a Russian Su-24 flown by a pair of Russian pilots, with one believed to have been captured by Syrian rebels from the Alweya Al-Ashar (Brigade of the 10th) which consists of Turkmen with strong links to Turkey. A Kremlin spokesman said it was a "very serious incident" but that it was too early to draw conclusions.

TWITTER The Tweet from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirming the helicopter was hit by a missil

TWITTER The translated Tweet

Footage from private Turkish broadcaster Haberturk TV showed the warplane going down in flames in a woodland area, a long plume of smoke trailing behind it. The plane went down in area known by Turks as "Turkmen Mountain", it said. Two pilots managed to eject from the jet and were seen landing with the help of parachutes. The jet is reported to be a Russian Su-24 flown by a pair of Russian pilots, with one believed to have been captured by Syrian rebels from the Alweya Al-Ashar (Brigade of the 10th) which consists of Turkmen with strong links to Turkey.

IG Russian rescue helicopters filmed over northern Syria

EXPRESS A map showing the downed jet's location

He was initially thought to be alive but rebels have now said they have recovered both pilots' bodies. The second pilot is believed to have died in the crash after footage was released by Syrian rebels appearing to show them crowding around a body saying "Allahu Akbar" - God is Great in Arabic. A Turkish offical said: "The data we have is very clear. There were two planes approaching our border, we warned them as they were getting too close.

TWITTER The pilots eject from the plane

"We warned them to avoid entering Turkish airspace before they did, and we warned them many times. Our findings show clearly that Turkish airspace was violated multiple times. And they violated it knowingly," the official said. A second official said the incident was not an action against any specific country but a move to defend Turkey's sovereign territory within its rules of engagement. Russia is currently fighting in Syria with President Bashar al-Assad's troops against the rebels and Islamic State (ISIS). Sources say the brigade has now launched "a counter-offensive" against President Bashar and Russian troops in a bid to take back the Turkman mountains.