Turkish media reports now that the two pilots of the Russian SU-24 jet which was shot down at the borders of Turkey-Syria are alive.

Citing Turkish officials, the Hurriyet newspaper reported that both pilots are alive and that authorities are trying to get them from opposition rebels safely.

According to earlier information, Turkish helicopters were sent to collect the pilots, but one was dead and the other one was captured by Turkmen rebel forces which fight against Bashar al-Assad regime in northern Syria.

Later, commanders of Turkmen forces claimed that they had shot and killed both Russian pilots arguing that they have their bodies.

However, Russian authorities announced that one of the two pilots was killed from the ground while he was landing with his parachute. They also revealed that a Russian marine was killed during an operation conducted for the rescue of the pilots in northern Syria, at the borders with Turkey.