Five killed as Russian helicopter downed in Syria

A Russian helicopter was shot down in Syria on Monday, killing all five people aboard, in the deadliest incident so far as part of Moscow’s engagement in the bloody civil war.

The Mi-8 helicopter was shot down in Idlib province after delivering humanitarian aid to the besieged city of Aleppo, according to the Russian defense ministry.

{mosads}It’s unclear which rebel group is responsible for the attack. A number of militant groups, including those tied to al Qaeda, are prevalent in Idlib.

The two officers and three crew members aboard “died heroically because they tried to move the aircraft away so to minimize losses on the ground,” a spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin said, according to The Associated Press.

“From what we know from information provided by the Defense Ministry, all those who were on the helicopter died.”

Although the Kremlin claimed that the helicopter was carrying humanitarian aid, images circulated online appear to show rocket pods next to the wreckage.

The Monday deaths bring the number of Russians who have died as part of Moscow’s intervention in Syria up to 18, according to Agence France-Presse.

The Kremlin stepped in to cement President Bashar Assad’s grip on power in Syria last summer. In the intervening months, Russia has launched a series of airstrikes on rebel factions, including some backed by the U.S.

Washington and Moscow have tried for months to hammer out an agreement to work together in Syria, which could come later this month.