Syrian rebels say they have shot down a government plane in what could be a watershed moment in the conflict - but the government has claimed it crashed because of "technical difficulties."
State TV claimed the plane crashed during a "regular training mission." But rebels uploaded a video, which could not be independently verified by The Huffington Post, purporting to show the jet being downed.
"God is greatest! A MiG fighter jet has been hit in the town of Mohassen," the activists, said to be from Deir al-Zor in east Syria, shouted in the video.
Syrian rebel fighters celebrate on top of a tank captured from the Syrian government forces at a checkpoint in the village of Anadan
According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, more than 20,000 people have been killed by government forces since the beginning of the conflict until now.
Earlier this month Britain pledged to increase support for Syrian opposition forces following the resignation of peace envoy Kofi Annan.
This week, two senior members of Human Rights Watch said the Europe had "failed to practice what it preaches" when it came to action in Syria.
In a report published by Clive Baldwin, senior legal advisor and Lotte Leicht, director of HRW's Brussels Office, the two accused the EU of faltering: "Faced with crimes against humanity and war crimes in Syria that show no signs of abating, Europe's commitment to justice has proved at best tepid and inconsistent."