The United States lost one of its Predator drone aircraft over northwest Syria on Tuesday, U.S. officials said, as Syrian state media reported its air defenses brought down the spy plane in the government-controlled Latakia province.

If Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces took down the U.S. aircraft – something U.S. officials said was not immediately certain – it would raise the stakes in the U.S.-led bombing campaign against “Islamic State” militants that began in Syria in late September.

The United States has previously described Assad’s air defenses as “passive,” meaning they have not engaged the U.S.-led coalition’s aircraft as American and other planes carry out strikes against militants.

The U.S. airstrikes have not targeted Assad’s forces or military infrastructure.

Tuesday’s incident took place sometime around 7:40 p.m. in Syria, when the United States lost contact with an unarmed MQ-1 Predator aircraft operating over northwest Syria, a U.S. official said.

A second U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the aircraft took off from a base in Turkey and a third official confirmed it was operating over Latakia province.

A fourth U.S. official said the aircraft was destroyed but U.S. officials were not ready to say what happened – much less whether Assad’s forces might have engaged the aircraft. They said the cause of the incident was unclear.

“At this time, we have no information to corroborate press reports that the aircraft was shot down,” said the first U.S. official, who asked to be described only as a defense official.

“We are looking into the incident and will provide more details when available.”

Earlier, Syria’s state news agency SANA said its air defenses brought down an American spy plane, without specifying what model of aircraft.

“Syrian air defenses brought down a hostile U.S. surveillance plane in northern Latakia,” SANA said in a bulletin, without elaborating.

Army retakes strategic town

Syria’s military took control of a village north of partly insurgent-held Aleppo on Wednesday, state media and a monitoring group said, giving it increased control of an area which armed groups have used as a supply route into the city.

The army, backed by militia, took Handarat after 10 days of fierce fighting with al-Qaeda’s Syrian wing and other Islamist brigades, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which tracks the war using sources on the ground.

The army closed in on Handarat and other areas north of Aleppo late last year in a bid to cut off supply lines. Fighting was still raging in and around the village on Wednesday, the Observatory said, and the airforce carried out several strikes.

Aleppo city is divided between the Syria military, backed by militia, and a range of insurgent groups including al-Qaeda’s Nusra Front, Islamist brigades and Western-backed rebels.

The United Nations Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura is trying to effect a local ceasefire in Aleppo to allow in badly needed humanitarian assistance.

Insurgent-held districts have been flattened by Syrian air force bombardments, including barrel bombs – crude explosive devices packed with shrapnel and nails.

State television said the army had taken full control in and around Handarat after “eliminating the last terrorist elements”. A state news agency report showed a photograph of Syrian soldiers raising their guns and fists in the air

U.S. drone lost in Syria, government claims to have downed it

The United States lost one of its Predator drone aircraft over northwest Syria on Tuesday, U.S. officials said, as Syrian state media reported its air defenses brought down the spy plane in the government-controlled Latakia province.

If Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces took down the U.S. aircraft – something U.S. officials said was not immediately certain – it would raise the stakes in the U.S.-led bombing campaign against “Islamic State” militants that began in Syria in late September.

The United States has previously described Assad’s air defenses as “passive,” meaning they have not engaged the U.S.-led coalition’s aircraft as American and other planes carry out strikes against militants.

The U.S. airstrikes have not targeted Assad’s forces or military infrastructure.

Tuesday’s incident took place sometime around 7:40 p.m. in Syria, when the United States lost contact with an unarmed MQ-1 Predator aircraft operating over northwest Syria, a U.S. official said.

A second U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the aircraft took off from a base in Turkey and a third official confirmed it was operating over Latakia province.

A fourth U.S. official said the aircraft was destroyed but U.S. officials were not ready to say what happened – much less whether Assad’s forces might have engaged the aircraft. They said the cause of the incident was unclear.

“At this time, we have no information to corroborate press reports that the aircraft was shot down,” said the first U.S. official, who asked to be described only as a defense official.

“We are looking into the incident and will provide more details when available.”

Earlier, Syria’s state news agency SANA said its air defenses brought down an American spy plane, without specifying what model of aircraft.

“Syrian air defenses brought down a hostile U.S. surveillance plane in northern Latakia,” SANA said in a bulletin, without elaborating.

Army retakes strategic town

Syria’s military took control of a village north of partly insurgent-held Aleppo on Wednesday, state media and a monitoring group said, giving it increased control of an area which armed groups have used as a supply route into the city.

The army, backed by militia, took Handarat after 10 days of fierce fighting with al-Qaeda’s Syrian wing and other Islamist brigades, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which tracks the war using sources on the ground.

The army closed in on Handarat and other areas north of Aleppo late last year in a bid to cut off supply lines. Fighting was still raging in and around the village on Wednesday, the Observatory said, and the airforce carried out several strikes.

Aleppo city is divided between the Syria military, backed by militia, and a range of insurgent groups including al-Qaeda’s Nusra Front, Islamist brigades and Western-backed rebels.

The United Nations Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura is trying to effect a local ceasefire in Aleppo to allow in badly needed humanitarian assistance.

Insurgent-held districts have been flattened by Syrian air force bombardments, including barrel bombs – crude explosive devices packed with shrapnel and nails.

State television said the army had taken full control in and around Handarat after “eliminating the last terrorist elements”. A state news agency report showed a photograph of Syrian soldiers raising their guns and fists in the air.

U.S. still wants Assad gone

The United States still wants a negotiated political settlement in Syria that excludes Assad, according to a senior U.S. envoy, but Washington’s close ally Germany said talks with the Damascus government might still be necessary.

As German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier hosted talks of the coalition against “Islamic State” on Wednesday which included the U.S. special envoy John Allen, the pair appeared to contradict each other on how to handle Assad’s government.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry raised concerns among Middle East allies who want Assad removed when he said on Sunday that the United States would have to negotiate with the Syrian president.

The U.S. State Department that Kerry heads later maintained that he had not specifically referred to the Syrian leader, and that Washington would never bargain with him.

On Wednesday, Allen said Assad had no legitimacy as a ruler.

“General Allen reiterated that the United States position on Assad has not changed,” the U.S. Embassy in Ankara said in a statement late on Tuesday after Allen held talks there.

“The United States believes that he has lost all legitimacy to govern, that conditions in Syria under his rule have led to the rise of ISIL (Islamic State) and other terrorist groups, and that we continue to seek a negotiated political‎ outcome to the Syrian conflict that does not in the end include Assad.”

But Steinmeier was quoted in German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung on Wednesday as saying: “The only way to an end to the violence is via negotiations for a political solution, even if that makes talks with the Assad regime necessary.”