MOSCOW – Russia and Israel have come face to face in Syria after shootingdown of Russian plane over Syria airspace.

Russia has accused Israel of indirectly causing a Russian military plane tobe shot down near Syria’s Mediterranean coast and threatened to retaliateagainst Israel for what it described as a hostile act.

Talking to Russian state television in Moscow today (Tuesday), DefenseMinistry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said that fifteen service personnelhave also been perished in the incident.

He said the aircraft was shot down by Syrian anti-aircraft systems butMoscow believed Israeli air force jets flying in the same area had put theRussian plane in the line of fire.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu also spoke to his Israelicounterpart, Avigdor Lieberman, and held Israel wholly responsible for theshooting down of the plane.