Russian state television said on Thursday that Turkish military specialists in Syria’s Idlib region were using shoulder-fired missiles to try to shoot down Russian and Syrian military aircraft.

The assertion, aired during a report from Idlib on the Rossiya 24 channel, came as Turkish and rebel officials said Syrian rebels, backed by the Turkish military, had seized the town of Nairab in Idlib.

It said Russian and Syrian planes were therefore being forced to take counter-measures after carrying out bombing runs on rebel positions.