(VOVworld) - Militants of the Islamic State (IS) reportedly shot down a Syrian aircraft near a key military airport in southern Syria Friday with pro-IS Twitter accounts saying the group had captured the pilot.

(Photo: ARA News)

The warplane was shot down in the eastern part of Khalkhalah airport, the only air base in Sweida province.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said the fate of any crew members remains unknown, but pro-IS accounts claimed the pilot had been captured.

The Syrian state media SANA quoted a military officer as saying that the plane went down “due to technical problems during a training exercise near Khalkhalah” and “the search for the pilot is still ongoing.”