MOSCOW. July 5 (Interfax) - A U.S.-led coalition fighter jet came dangerously close to a Russian Aerospace Forces Antonov An-30 plane in Syria's airspace, deputy head of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of Opposing Sides in Syria Maj. Gen. Yury Popov said at a press briefing on Thursday.
"A Typhoon fighter jet of the coalition flew dangerously close to the An-30 aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces, which was performing a routine flight in Syria's airspace, over the al-Tanf area in Homs province from 9:44 a.m. to 9:51 a.m. on July 3," Popov said.
The Russian pilot showed high professionalism and timely took all necessary measures to prevent a collision, he said.
"Nine breaches of the deconfliction protocols dated December 9, 2019, by flights of the coalition's unmanned aerial vehicles uncoordinated with the Russian side were recorded over the day," he said.
Twelve violations of Syrian airspace by two pairs of coalition F-15 fighter jets, two pairs of Typhoon fighter jets and two pairs of A-10 Thunderbolt attack planes were recorded over the al-Tanf area over the day, he said.
Five attacks on Syrian forces' positions by the Jabhat al-Nusra and Turkistan Islamic Party terrorist groups, both banned in Russia, were recorded in the Idlib de-escalation area over the past day, Popov said.
"Two Syrian soldiers were injured while repelling an attack by a sabotage and reconnaissance group of up to 30 militants in the Seraqib district of Idlib province," he said.