IS downs Syrian warplane, crucifies pilot

Damascus, July 14 (IANS) The Islamic State (IS) group downed a Syrian war jet in the country's Deir al-Zour province on Thursday, capturing and crucifying the pilot, a monitor group reported.

The terror group shot down the aircraft near the airbase of Deir al-Zour, which the group has for long been trying to capture from the Syrian government forces, Xinhua news agency cited the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

After downing the plane, the IS militants hanged the pilot on a cross, and crucified him, the UK-based watchdog group added.

It said the IS group has downed several warplanes in different parts of the country since April 2016.

The group has earned a reputation in befalling brutal punishment on the captured soldiers and those who don't abide by its ultra radical teachings.