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A Myanmar rebel group has claimed to have downed a Chinese fighter jet operated by the Myanmar's Airforce. The fighter jet crashed in Myanmar's Pale Township, located in the Sagaing Region. AP citing local media reports has said the aircraft that crashed on 10th of this month was a Chinese fighter plane. It was the FTC-2000G, a two-seater air to ground light fighter jet and images of the crashed aircraft were broadcasted on the local media.
A search and rescue mission was launched along with efforts to ascertain the type of aircraft and the crash was reportedly blamed on a mechanical failure, said an AP report quoting Myanmar's state run MRTV television.
Ni Ni Kyaw, a spokesperson for a militia known as the People’s Liberation Army, or PLA, told The Associated Press its fighters had been involved in an assault on a police station in Pale township when they shot down the jet at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday.
There have been conflicting reports about Tuesday's crash in Sagaing region, especially the make of the aircraft and reasons behind its crash.
Was it the JF-17 Thunder
According to several unconfirmed media reports it might have been a Chinese JF-17 Thunder. It was jointly developed by China and Pakistan as single engine multi role combat aircraft. If the reports are confirmed it would mark the first combat loss for the aircraft.
How was the jet shot down
The rebel group claimed that they downed the fighter jet using machine guns when it was flying at a very low altitude after a completing a bombing run. This has been the first time the group was able to shoot down a fighter jet since they began fighting against the against the military as reported by AFP
Sagaing Region is approximately 700 km from Myanmar's capital, Naypyidaw. This region is under the control of rebels who are opposed to the military rule that was imposed in the country after the 2021 coup.
