US accuses Russia of ‘sickening and savage’ bombing of UN aid convoy in Syria that killed 20 people
THE US has said it holds Russia responsible for an attack on a Syrian aid convoy which killed about 20 people when the trucks with food for 78,000 starving people were barrel-bombed.
The White House called the attack an "enormous humanitarian tragedy" and have blamed Russian war planes.
White House Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said all information indicates an airstrike hit the convoy.
He said that since the Syrian rebels lack an air force, that means either Syria or Russia conducted the strikes.
He added that regardless of who carried out the strike, the U.S. considers Russia responsible because it was Russia's responsibility under the cease-fire deal to limit Syrian airstrikes.
Russia and Syria both denied carrying out the convoy bombing. Russia's Defence Ministry has blamed the damage on a cargo fire.
Russia has said the convoy was travelling with a militant pick-up truck armed with a heavy mortar, and has released drone footage of what is claimed to be the convoy with the truck.
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The Russian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday said that "we responsibly say that neither the Russian nor the Syrian air force conducted any strikes on the U.N. aid convoy on the southwestern outskirts of Aleppo."
It was unclear yesterday if helicopter forces loyal to tyrant Bashar al- Assad or his Russian allies destroyed the convoy at Urum al-Kubra.
The blasts came after a week-long ceasefire and hit 18 of the 31 Red Crescent vehicles. The UN said it could amount to a war crime.
Many died and a number were seriously wounded in the attack near the rebel-held town of Urum al-Kubra.
A one-year-old girl was among those caught up in the deadly blast.
The convy had received proper permits and all warring parties - including Russia and the US - had been notified.
It comes as ministers from the 23-nation International Syria Support Group (ISSG) meet alongside the UN General Assembly in New York to decide what next steps to take in a bid for peace
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UN humanitarian chief Stephen O’Brien said initial reports indicate that many were killed or seriously injured in the convoy attack, including Syrian Arab Red Crescent volunteers.
He called the attacks "sickening" and said if the trucks had been targeted deliberately "it would amount to a war crime.”
A Red Crescent warehouse was also hit and a senior official of the Red Crescent health clinic was among those killed.
The US has expressed "outrage" at the attack and says it will "reassess the future prospects for cooperation" with Russia - an ally of Syria's government.
Aid deliveries to besieged areas had been a key part of the cessation of hostilities agreement last week.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 12 were killed in the attack, mostly truck drivers and Red Crescent workers.
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The Syrian Civil Defence, the volunteer first responder group also known as the White Helmets, confirmed that casualty figure.
A video of the attack showed huge balls of fire in a pitch black area, as ambulances arrived on the scene.
Jan Egeland, humanitarian aid coordinator in the office of the U.N. envoy for Syria, told The Associated Press in a text message that the convoy was "bombarded."
Egeland added, "It is outrageous that it was hit while offloading at warehouses."
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