Russian helicopter crashes in Syria, 2 dead

A Russian helicopter crashed in Syria on New Year's Eve killing both pilots following a technical fault, Moscow's defence ministry said Wednesday.

The Mi-24 military helicopter was flying to Hama, northwestern Syria, and there was no firing from the ground, agencies quote the ministry as saying. 

"Both pilots died in a hard landing 15 km (nine miles) from the air base," the ministry said, adding that a technician had been injured and taken to another air base at for emergency treatment.