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Defense ministry: Western media accuse Russia of bombing non-existent hospitals in Syria

There are no hospitals in most of the towns mentioned in Western media reports

MOSCOW, November 2 /TASS/. The Russian Defence Ministry has denied accusations that Russian warplanes have bombed hospitals in several populated localities in Syria because there are no hospitals in the settlements mentioned in the media reports, Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov said on Monday.

"A week ago, certain leading Western media outlets, referring to the US-registered Syrian-American Medical Society (SAMS), were riddled with reports about alleged bombardment by Russian warplanes of hospitals in the following populated localities: Al-Ace, Al-Hader, Khan Tuman, Sarmin, Al-Zirba and Al-Latamna," the general said.

He added that as usual those accusations were unfounded and did not have any material evidence. "Video footage about the alleged destruction of a hospital in Sarmin, Idlib province, was shown as pseudo evidence," General Konashenkov went on to say.

The media reports also said that the Russian air strikes had allegedly killed 12 people and injured about 30 and that the hospital itself had been destroyed.

"We have checked that information. It turned out that Sarmin is the only populated locality, which has a hospital. There are no hospitals and consequently doctors and other medical personnel in Al-Ace, Al-Hader, Khan Tuman, Al-Zirba and Al-Latamna," Konashenkov stressed.

Russia’s Defense Ministry on Monday presented aerial photos captured on October 31 featuring an intact hospital in Syria’s Sarmin the Western media alleged was destroyed by Russian air strikes.

At a briefing, the ministry’s spokesman, Igor Konashenkov, demonstrated photos taken from open sources featuring the construction of the hospital in the Syrian village of Sarmin in 2014 and photos of this area made by Russian aircraft on October 31, 2015.

"As you can see, the building [of the hospital] is intact… These pictures were captured on October 31, 2015. You can see all the buildings and structures that were present there in 2014. They are seen on the photo taken the day before yesterday," he said.

Russian warplanes have been delivering surgical strikes at the infrastructure of terrorist organizations in Syria since September 30 at the request of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Russia does not plan to take part in any land operations in Syria.