Syria Says Not Involved in Strikes on UN Aid Convoy
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Syria's army dismissed media reports that it had hit an aid convoy near the northern city of Aleppo on Monday, state news agency SANA said.
"There is no truth to reports carried by some media outlets that the Syrian Arab Army targeted a humanitarian aid convoy in the Aleppo countryside," SANA said on Tuesday, quoting a source in the Syrian army.
Similarly, Russia's Defense Ministry said on Tuesday that Russian and Syrian air forces were not involved in airstrikes on the convoy near Aleppo.
"All information on the whereabouts of the convoy was available only to the militants controlling these areas," ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in comments read on Russian state-run Rossiya 24 television channel.
The UN said at least 18 trucks in a 31-vehicle convoy were destroyed late Monday as they were en route to deliver humanitarian assistance to the hard-to-reach town of Orum al-Kubra, killing a Red Crescent staff member and civilians.
The United Nations has since suspended all humanitarian aid convoys for security reasons.
The incident came hours after the Syrian military declared an end to a week-long truce brokered by Moscow and Washington earlier this month.
