One Russian Marine Killed During Search for Pilots of Downed Su-24 in Syria

A Russian Mi-8 helicopter has come under attack during a search and rescue operation tasked with saving the two pilots of the downed Su-24 warplane in Syria, the Russian military said on Tuesday.

The Russian General Staff said that two Mi-8s were involved in the operation taking place in an area controlled by Syrian rebels. One of the helicopters was shot down and a Russian marine was killed.

"Personnel from the search and rescue team and the helicopter's crew have been evacuated and are now located at the Hmeymim air base," Lieutenant-General Sergei Rudskoi, the head of the Main Operations Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, told reporters on Tuesday, according to sputniknews.com.

"The downed helicopter was destroyed by mortar fire from territory controlled by armed gangs," he added.

The search and rescue operation continues, Rudskoi said.