Syrian soldiers received medals for "Strengthening Comradeship-in-Arms," an award given to foreign citizens for military cooperation and assistance with the Russian Army, according to photos published by Syrian journalist Hassan Ridha.
#Russia thanks #SAA forces who rescued #RuAF pilot pic.twitter.com/Afg6FEcC5d
— Hassan Ridha (@sayed_ridha) 28 ноября 2015
On Tuesday, a Russian Su-24 jet was downed in Syria. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the plane was downed by an air-to-air missile launched by a Turkish F-16 jet over Syrian territory, and crashed some 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) away from the Turkish border.
A search-and-rescue operation was launched, made out of 18 Syrian Special Forces and six Hezbollah fighters with firsthand knowledge of the local terrain. They were tasked with saving the pilot, while Russian forces provided air and intelligence support.
As soon as they reached the front line, Russian aircraft launched airstrikes against rebels forcing them to flee. The team could then advance further into enemy territory.
The operation ended successfully and Murahtin was saved. All 24 fighters, who took part in the operation, safely reached the base.
