Syrian opposition fighters on Thursday shot down two military warplanes over the northwestern province of Idlib, said a monitoring group.
Both jets were hit with fire from heavy machineguns while the air force was carrying out a series of raids in the area, much of which is under the control of the opposition fighters, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
Meanwhile, fighters from the Islamist Al-Nusra Front seized the town of Shadadeh in the oil-rich northeastern province of Hasake, on the border with Iraq, said the observatory.
“After three days of fierce battles against the army, Al-Nusra Front fighters have seized control of Shadadeh,” said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which relies on a network of activists, doctors and lawyers for its reporting.