Downing of jet must not derail anti-terror fight

The shooting down of a Russian fighter jet by Turkey on Tuesday is a most unfortunate incident, which has raised global concerns over the fallout between the two countries. This indeed is a testing time, but all sides concerned have to exercise restraint because their fight is against a common enemy: terrorism.

Russia's indignation and outrage are understandable. The incident resulted in the first Russian casualty by a NATO member, and Russia has already paid a dear price for fighting the Islamic State group in Syria: the bombing of its passenger plane over Egypt's Sinai desert on Oct 31 by terrorists affiliated to the IS that killed all 224 on board.

There is need, therefore, to avoid any similar incident so that all the forces fighting the IS group can stay focused on their mission, instead of making things difficult for each other.