Syria: A Syrian military helicopter downed in a ball of fire in Damascus clashes
A Syrian military helicopter went down in a ball of fire Monday after it was apparently hit during fighting between government forces and rebels in the capital Damascus, activists said.
A video posted on the Internet showed the chopper engulfed in flames and spinning out of control shortly before it hit the ground amid bursts of gunfire near a mosque. Rebels shout “Allahu Akbar!” or God is great, as the helicopter goes down. The authenticity of the video could not be independently verified.
Syria’s lightly armed rebels have grown bolder and their tactics more sophisticated in recent months. There have been claims of fighters shooting down helicopter gunships in the past, though the government has never confirmed it.