Syria rebels claim jet downing as army advances

SYRIA: Syrian rebels claimed they downed a fighter jet Monday in what would be a major coup for the opposition, but the regime seized the upper hand in Aleppo as it advanced into a new rebel-held district.

President Bashar al-Assad's regime meanwhile faced mounting pressure as foreign ministers called for Syria to be suspended from the 57-nation Islamic Cooperation Organization over the brutal crackdown on the 17-month rebellion.

But the Western-backed rebels could soon face similar criticism, after shocking videos emerged showing alleged rebel atrocities in Aleppo.

State media said a military plane on a training mission crashed in the east of the country after suffering a malfunction and that the pilot had ejected. But the Free Syrian Army, which has been requesting anti-aircraft weapons so that it can respond to escalating attacks from the sky, claimed it shot down the Russian-made jet in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor. AFP