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Conflict in Syria

Russian Defense Ministry: Aid convoy in Aleppo followed by terrorists’ truck with mortar

The UN head office in New York said a joint humanitarian convoy of the United Nations and the Syrian Red Crescent Society came under bombardment near Aleppo on September 19

© Valery Sharifulin/TASS

MOSCOW, September 20. /TASS/. The humanitarian convoy that was attacked on Monday in the Syrian province of Aleppo was followed by a terrorists’ pickup truck carrying a large-caliber mortar, Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Igor Konashenkov said on Tuesday.

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Moscow says attempts to accuse Russia of aid convoy attack are 'outrageous'

"Analysis of video records from drones of yesterday’s movement of the humanitarian convoy across Aleppo’s territories controlled by militants has revealed new details. It is clearly seen in the video that a terrorists’ pickup truck with a towed large-caliber mortar is moving along with the convoy," he said.

"It is not clear who is covering home: either the mortar is covering the convoy with the White Helmets volunteers or vise versa," he said.

"And the most important question: where this mortar had disappeared when the convoy reached its destination and where it was targeting fire at when the convoy was being unloaded," Konashenkov added.

Earlier, the UN head office in New York said a joint humanitarian convoy of the United Nations and the Syrian Red Crescent Society came under bombardment near Aleppo on September 19. Several people were injured. The French news agency France Presse quoted the International Federation of the Red Cross and Redd Crescent Societies as saying the attack left 20 civilians and one Syrian Red Crescent staffer dead.

Later, the United Nations declared it was suspending another convoy to Syria due to security problems. The Syrian Red Crescent Society paused its activity in Aleppo for three days in protest against the bombardment.

The United Nations said it was unable to establish the details of the attack, but "various sources" confirmed that the city came under artillery fire on Monday. A US Administration official said the humanitarian convoy came under an air raid, adding that the US-led international anti-terrorist coalition was not responsible.

Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Igor Konashenkov said on Tuesday neither Russian nor Syrian warplanes had delivered any strikes at the United Nations humanitarian convoy in Aleppo’s southwestern neighborhoods.

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