Syria searching for pilots from downed Turkish military jet

Syrian planes and its navy were Saturday searching for two Turkish pilots whose jet fighter was shot down by Syria, dpa reported with the reference to the pro-government television al-Dunia based in Damascus.

Syria admitted late Friday that it had shot down the plane, while Turkey - a member of NATO - warned it would take "the necessary steps" in the wake of the incident.

Turkey has been a vocal critic of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad over his regime's crackdown on a 16-month pro-democracy uprising, but Friday's incident represents a potentially dangerous new flashpoint.

The search was being conducted near areas in the coastal Syrian province of Latakia.

The broadcaster, quoting a Syrian military spokesman, said the navies of both countries were cooperating in the search for the pilots.

A former military Syrian official, now in Beirut, told dpa he had information that the Syrian troops who had shot the plane thought it was another Syrian pilot defecting with his jet to Turkey.

A Syrian pilot Thursday defected with his plane to neighbouring Jordan where he was granted political asylum.

The downing of the Turkish plane is set to further sour already tense relations between the two countries.

Meanwhile, fighting raged Saturday between Syrian forces and opposition rebels in the northern province of Idlib, according to activists.

"Syrian troops are using helicopters and setting fields ablaze to locate rebel hideouts," activist Haytham al-Abdallah told dpa.

He added that government troops were also attacking areas east of the country and suburban districts of the capital Damascus.