US fighter jet shoots down Assad warplane over Syria
Syrian plane dropped bombs on U.S.-backed forces near Raqqa
Australia said it was suspending military flights over Syria two days after a U.S. Navy F-18 Super Hornet shot down a Syrian jet near the ISIS stronghold of Raqqa.
The Australian military also flies Super Hornets, the only other nation besides the U.S. to do so.
A U.S. official in the Middle East called the move a “temporary measure,” when reached by Fox News.
The official added the U.S. has “repositioned” its air forces in Syria in the wake of the U.S. downing of the Russian-made Syrian jet.
As an example of the change, fewer American jets are bombing ISIS targets and more are being tasked with air-to-air roles in case Syria or Russia seeks revenge for the loss of the Assad regime jet after it was shot down, the official said.
Two weeks ago on a visit to Sydney, Australia’s Foreign Minister Julie Bishop told Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, "We are united in our resolve to defeat ISIS."
According to the Australian Defense Ministry, its F-18 Super Hornets have not flown over Syria since February.
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