Turkey said on Friday it had lost contact with a military aircraft while it was over the sea off the southeastern province of Hatay, which borders Syria.    

CNN Turk television said the aircraft had crashed in Syria. There was no immediate official confirmation of that report.    

In a statement, Turkey's military said a search and rescue operation was underway after it lost radar and radio contact with the plane after it took off from Erhac Airport in the eastern province of Malatya.

Lebanon’s Hezbollah al-Manar TV, quoting Syrian security sources: Turkish jet shot down by Syrian air defenses.

REUTERS