Damascus, Jun 23 (IANS): Syria Saturday confirmed having shot down a Turkish fighter jet which had entered the Syrian airspace earlier Friday.

A Turkish fighter jet had penetrated the Syrian airspace and it was shot down by Syrian army with anti-aviation artillery, Xinhua quoted a Syrian military spokesperson as saying.

It was dealt with in accordance to the applicable laws, the official added.

In a statement aired on Syrian TVs, an unnamed source said around 11.40 a.m. Friday, "an unknown flying object" penetrated the Syrian airspace over the Syrian territorial waters. The target was flying at a low height and at a very high speed.

The Syrian areal defiance systems responded with anti - aviation artillery when the object was at a distance of one kilometre off shore, the source said, adding that the object was set ablaze and went down at a distance of 10 km off the Syrian shores.

"Later on, the object turned to be a Turkish warplane that penetrated our airspace and it was dealt with in accordance to the applicable laws," the source said.

The source said coordination with Turkish forces was underway to find the two pilots that were onboard and the the forces have sent choppers to locate the whereabouts of their missing pilots.

Media reports said three Syrian vessels have joined the pilots' search.