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Russia’s top brass dismisses reports of air strike against marketplace in Syria

The Russian air task force did not accomplish any missions in the area, according to the Defense Ministry

© Valery Sharifulin/TASS

MOSCOW, July 22. /TASS/. Russia’s Defense Ministry has dismissed reports that the Russian air task force’s aircraft have allegedly delivered an air strike against a marketplace in Syria.

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"The statements by the anonymous representatives of the UK- and US-funded White Helmets organization that the Russian air task force’s aircraft have allegedly delivered a strike against a marketplace in the town of Maaret al-Numan (the province of Idlib) are a fake news story," the defense ministry stressed.

"The Russian air task force’s aviation did not accomplish any missions in that area of the Syrian Arab Republic," the ministry said.

Some Western media outlets earlier reported that Russian combat planes had allegedly delivered a strike against a civilian marketplace in Syria. In particular, the French TV channel France 24 alleged that the Russian air task force’s strike against a vegetable marketplace in northwest Syria had killed 19 people, including 16 civilians. The TV channel also claimed that at least 45 people were wounded in the air raid.

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