Turkey Shoots Down Unidentified Drone in Its Airspace

Turkish Air Force jets have shot down an unidentified drone in the country's air space near the border with Syria on Friday, Turkey's General Staff has announced.

The unidentified unmanned aircraft continued flying despite three warnings issued by Turkish planes patrolling the border, the General Staff said adding that the shhoting down of the drone was in line with Turkey's rules of engagement.

A U.S. official has said Washington believed the drone was of Russian origin, Reuters reported.

However, Lebanon-based pro-Syrian Al-Mayadeen TV channel quoted an unnamed Syrian military official as saying that no Syrian or Russian warplane or drone has been shot down over Turkey, according to todayszaman.com

Russia's Defence Ministry spokesman Gen. Maj. Igor Koneshenkov said that all Russian aircraft in Syria have returned safely to base and drones conducting monitoring and aerial reconnaissance were operating according to plan.

Colonel General Andrei Kartapolov, a senior member of the Russian General Staff also said that a drone reportedly shot down in Turkey had nothing to do with Russia.