WASHINGTON, October 18 (RIA Novosti) - Reports of Islamic State (IS) pilots flying stolen jet fighters over the Syrian city of Aleppo have not been confirmed by coalition forces, the Pentagon said.
"We do not have any operational reporting of ISIL flying jets in support of ISIL's activity on the ground," the US Central Command Commander Gen. Lloyd Austin said during a press briefing on Friday. "I cannot confirm that," he added.
Three planes, identified as MiG 21 or MiG 23 Russian model jet fighters, have been seen flying in Syrian air space near the Syrian town of Aleppo, southeast of besieged town of Kobani, according to Reuters.
"To the degree that pilots may have defected and joined the ranks of ISIL, I don't have any information on that," Austin said.
The Islamic State is a Sunni extremist group that has been fighting the Syrian government since 2012. In June 2014, it launched an offensive in Iraq, seizing vast areas in both countries and announcing the establishment of an Islamic caliphate on the territories under its control.
In August, the United States started conducting airstrikes on IS positions in Iraq, extending the airstrikes to Syria in September, when an international anti-IS coalition was formed, currently comprising more than 60 countries.
