World Bulletin / News Desk

A Syrian military pilot whose aircraft crashed in Turkey near the countries' border is in hospital having been found after a nine-hour search.

A Syrian military source quoted by state television on Saturday said "contact was lost with a military aircraft on a reconnaissance mission near the Turkish border."

The Syrian rebel group Ahrar al-Sham said that it had shot down a government plane "as it was overflying Idlib province (in northwestern Syria) and carrying out air strikes."

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, said earlier that the cause of the crash was unknown, but he pointed to poor weather conditions at the time.

More than 310,000 people have died since the war in Syria erupted in March 2011 after regime forces crushed anti-government protests. Millions have fled the country.