US downing of Syrian jet irks Russia

Damascus brands attack on its warplane as 'flagrant aggression'

MOSCOW - The United States should respect Syria's territorial integrity and refrain from unilateral actions in the country, Russian news agencies quoted Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying on Monday.

Lavrov made his remarks after a US F-18 Super Hornet shot down a Syrian SU-22 jet on Sunday in the southern Raqqa countryside, with Washington saying the jet had dropped bombs near US-backed forces and Damascus saying the plane was downed while flying a mission against the Islamic State militants.