A number of Syrian media outlets report that Major Jaafar Hassan was killed during a mission, and Captain Tariq Maalaa is suspected killed.

Syrian authorities have not commented on the crash, however a Syrian general confirmed the news to Russia’s Interfax news agency.

The exact location of the L-39 Albatross warplane is not known, but it was reported to have crashed at 1am on Saturday morning in the region of the Aleppo airport in the east of Aleppo.

Conflicting reports have emerged of how the plane crashed, with some reporting that the plane was shot down and others alleging a mechanical failure on board.

Translation: Colonel Jaafar Hassan and Captain Tariq Maalaa were martyred while performing an important military mission in the city of Aleppo.