Turkey shoots down drone near Syrian border

ANKARA, Turkey, Oct. 16 (UPI) -- Turkey shot down a drone flying over its airspace Friday near the Syrian border, the Turkish military said in a statement.

Turkish Foreign Minister Feridun Sinirloglu confirmed the initially unidentified aircraft was a drone later Friday.

Officials said the intruding plane ignored three warnings before Turkish warplanes shot it down "in accordance with the rules of engagement."

Syria, Russia and the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State have used drones in Syrian airspace in their attacks on the terror group. Sinirloglu said the drones' origin was still being determined, adding it was shot down within two miles of the Turkish border

Last week Turkey, which supports rebel forces in Syria, warned Russian planes crossing the border into Turkey risked being shot down. Moscow has admitted two intrusions of Turkish airspace occurred but blamed them on navigational errors.

NATO, of which Turkey is a member, also condemned the airspace violations.

In the course of the more than four-year civil war in Syria, Turkey has shot down Syrian jets and helicopters traveling over its airspace.