DHAKA: Five Russians on board a military helicopter were killed when it was shot down by rebels in northern Syria, Russia has said.

The Mi-8 transporter came down in Idlib province. It was carrying three crew and two officers, Russia’s defense ministry said, reports the BBC.

The helicopter was returning from delivering humanitarian aid to the besieged city of Aleppo, it said.

It is not clear which group brought the helicopter down.

An alliance of rebel groups, including hardline jihadist factions, is the dominant power in Idlib.

Russia has previously, though seldom, lost aircraft since it launched operations in support of the Syrian government at the end of September 2015.

In July, two Russian pilots were killed when their helicopter was shot down east of the city of Palmyra by so-called Islamic State (IS).

Last November, the pilot of a Russian Su-24 fighter plane was killed when the aircraft was shot down by Turkey on its border with Syria.

A Russian marine sent on a mission to rescue the pilot was also killed when his helicopter was shot down.

BDST: 1804 HRS, AUG 01, 2016
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