ANKARA (Agencies) -- Syria shot down a Turkish warplane on Friday, Lebanon's al-Manar television reported, risking a new crisis between Middle Eastern neighbors already at bitter odds over a 16-month-old political crisis.

 

"Syrian security sources confirmed to a Manar correspondent in Damascus that Syrian defense forces shot down the Turkish fighter jet," the Hezbollah-owned channel said.

 

According to Reuters, Turkey said it had lost contact with one of its military aircraft off its southeastern coast, and a television station said it had crashed in Syrian territorial waters.

 

CNN Turk television said Turkey was in contact with the Syrian authorities to get permission to conduct a search for the airmen, although there was no immediate official confirmation.

 

Turkey's military said a search and rescue operation was under way. It lost radar and radio contact with the plane after it left Erhac airport in the eastern province of Malatya.

 

Meanwhile, Damascus has apologized for shooting down the plane, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan said as reported by Hurriyet daily.

 

Syrian vessels have joined a search operation, which was launched immediately after the Turkish military lost radar and radio contact with the jet, Russia Today reported.

 

Two crew were aboard the F-4 jet, Turkish state news agency Anatolia said, citing Malatya governor Ulvi Saran.

 

Hurriyet daily newspaper reported that the plane had gone down in international waters and that the two airmen had been found alive and well by Turkish forces.

 

Turkey, which had drawn close to Syria before the uprising against Assad, became one of the Syrian leader's fiercest critics.