Syria Knocks Down US Spy Drone in Latakia

The Syrian air defense forces have brought down a US surveillance plane in the province of Latakia, local state news agency SANA reported on Tuesday.

"Syrian air defenses brought down a hostile US surveillance plane in northern Latakia," SANA stated.

The Syrian Army has discovered the remains of a downed US-made drone in the north of Latakia, a military source has told Sputnik Arabic.

"It is an American-made unmanned aircraft. But it is yet unclear whether it belonged to Turkey or the United States," the source said.

A Sputnik correspondent reported from the site that the drone's remains were found atop a residential building in Latakia's northern suburban neighborhood. Witnesses said that the drone was flying above a presidential palace located in the city.

Meanwhile, Reuters reported citing an unanimous US official on Tuesday that the United States had lost contact of one of its drones flying over the territory of Syria in the Latakia province.

In August 2014, the US-led international coalition launched a bombing campaign against Islamic State targets in Iraq, later spreading the operation to Syria. The airstrikes in Syria are being conducted without Damascus' consent.

Since the start of its internal conflict over four years ago, Damascus has been engaged on several fronts, fighting so-called moderate opposition forces and radical elements such as the Islamic State.