Un Chief 'Seriously Concerned' Over Russian Jet İncident

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed "serious concern" over the incident that resulted in the downing of a Russian jet after it violated Turkish airspace, a UN spokesman said Tuesday.



"[Ban] urges all relevant parties to take urgent measures with a view to de-escalate the tensions. He hopes that a credible and thorough review of the incident will clarify the events and help prevent future recurrences," Stephane Dujarric told reporters in New York.



Dujarric noted that the UN chief repeatedly urged "all those who are engaged in military activities in Syria, especially air campaign, to maximize operational measures to avoid unintended consequences".



He said the incident once again highlighted "the importance of international unity and cooperation in international action against violent extremists in the region, as well as the urgent need to agree to a solution to the tragic events in Syria."



A Russian SU-24 warplane was shot down while in Turkish airspace earlier Tuesday after repeatedly ignoring warnings that it was breaching the territory.



Russia began airstrikes in Syria on Sept. 30 to prop up the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in a civil war that has killed more than 250,000 victims.



Russian jets previously violated Turkish airspace twice in October. The incidents occurred within a few days of the start of Russia's air campaign.



Both violations led to international condemnation. - New York