Russia’s Defence Ministry on Tuesday said 32 people were killed after a military plane crashed during landiing at Khmeimim air base in Syria, the TASS news agency reported. The victims include 26 passengers and six crew members.

A preliminary inquiry indicated that a technical malfunction may have caused the crash, the agency said quoting the ministry.

“According to reports from the scene, no fire was delivered against the plane,” the ministry added.

Russian military aircraft have been deployed in Syria on the side of the Bashar al-Assad regime, which is fighting a war against rebel-held territories in the country. Airstrikes and land operations by the Syrian forces have killed 520 civilians in the country’s eastern Ghouta region over the past two weeks.

More details are awaited about Tuesday’s crash.