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Moscow denies Russian jets intercepted by US F-22s in Syria

14 December 2017 21:20 (UTC +04:00)

The Russian Defense Ministry released a statement Thursday denying reports of an alleged "intercept" of Russian Su-25s by US F-22 fighter jets in Syria, APA reports quoting Sputnik.

The incident initially took place in the Syrian airspace east of the Euphrates river.

"Two F-22 went too close to two Russian jets so we had to use the de-confliction channels," a CENTCOM official told Sputnik on Thursday. "This is not something extraordinary… It happens sometimes several times a day."

A US official previously indicated that F-22 fighters fired warning flares to chase Russian Su-25s away from the airspace, however, the Defense Ministry's statement adds that US jets attempted to interfere in a Russian aircraft mission to provide air cover for a humanitarian aid convoy.

Per Pentagon spokesperson Eric Pahon, "one Su-25 flew close enough to an F-22A that it had to aggressively maneuver to avoid a midair collision."

"During the incident, a Russian Su-35 also flew across the river and was shadowed closely by one of the F-22As," Pahon added.