Turkey shoots down Syrian plane

Amateur video Reuters cannot independently verify purports to show the moment Turkish armed forces shot down a Syrian plane.

Turkey says it violated its airspace.

Syrian rebels have been fighting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces in the region.

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan.

(SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) TURKISH PRIME MINISTER TAYYIP ERDOGAN SAYING: (partly overlaid on shot 3)

"A Syrian plane violated our airspace. Our F-16s took off and hit this plane. Why? Because if you violate my airspace, our slap after this will be hard... I congratulate our armed forces and honorable pilots in your presence. I congratulate the Turkish air force."

Syria says Turkish air defense shot down the jet while it was attacking rebel forces inside Syrian territory.

Damascus called the jet's downing a "blatant aggression."

Rights groups say initial reports suggest the plane came down on the Syrian side of the border.

Syrian state television repor