A Russian assault helicopter nicknamed the”Terminator” was shot down Monday by Syrian rebels, near a town where civilians reported toxic gas dropped on them in possible retaliation.
Russian General Sergei Rudskoy insisted the helicopter was on a humanitarian mission, airdropping food and medical supplies to beleaguered families. After photos and video surfaced of the downed aircraft, experts noted there were no humanitarian supplies in the wreckage. The helicopter was clearly armed for an assault mission and rigged with rocket pods, according to reports.
A spokesman for Syrian humanitarian activists on the ground told Reuters that 33 women and children were affected by toxic gas hours after the crash in the same town. The activists believe the gas dropped was chlorine, while bombs were also dropped. A video posted on Youtube shows workers struggling to breathe while digging children out of the wreckage.
A council of Rebel Syrian groups blamed the Assad regime and its allies for the attack saying, “The daily reality confirms that all the international agreements and previous security council decisions, be they about chemical weapons or otherwise, are meaningless to the Assad regime.”
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