BEIRUT: A helicopter crashed in the town of Douma east of the Syrian capital Damascus on Thursday, Syrian state television said.

It gave no details, but an activist in Damascus said rebels had shot down the helicopter. No rebel group has claimed the attack yet.

Rebel fighters seeking to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad have often fired at planes and helicopters used by the Syrian military to bombard opposition strongholds, bringing down a helicopter on the outskirts of Damascus on Aug 27.

Three days later fighters in the northern province of Idlib said they had shot down a fighter plane in the northwestern province of Idlib near the Turkish border.

Rebels short of anti-aircraft capability have also launched ground attacks on airforce bases in the north and east of Syria to try to counter the military's air power.