The incident cast doubt on the fragile ceasefire between rebel groups and government forces, prompting a sharp rebuke from Russian Federation.
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“The destination of this convoy was known to the Syrian regime and the Russian federation and yet these aid workers were killed in their attempt to provide relief to the Syrian people”, Kirby said in a statement Monday night.
“We do not know if the truce will be extended again”, he added.
Syria’s armed forces on Monday announced an end to a week-long ceasefire in the war-torn country brokered by the United States and Russian Federation, blaming opposition groups battling to oust Syrian President Bashar Assad for its failure.
A United Nations spokesman in NY confirmed that at least one of its aid convoys, sent in coordination with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, was hit on the way to the Syrian city of Orum while carrying enough food and aid for 78,000 people.
Syria and the ceasefire, the accord of the Russian and American troops, now is nearly collapsed. “That process is continuing and we’ll see where we are in the course of the day”. “But we don’t have all the facts at this point”.
Damascus’ major ally Moscow insists that Syrian forces have fully respected the truce – which is meant to end hostilities and ensure aid deliveries – but that rebels have kept up bombardments.
Spokesman John Kirby said Russian Federation, which is responsible for ensuring Syria’s compliance, should clarify the Syrian position. Russia, a key ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government, and the United States, which leads a coalition fighting IS in the region, had heated exchanges over the fraying of the ceasefire at an emergency UN Security Council meeting Saturday.
The Syrian army said in a statement last week that the truce will last until midnight Sunday.
The Syrian military statement placed the blame on the rebel groups.
Also Sunday, the Syrian government and opposition reported violations of the cease-fire that went into effect on Monday.
The barrage of strikes on rebel-held districts of Aleppo on Sunday risks reigniting battlefronts in the city and could be the most serious threat to the ceasefire so far.
Aid was delivered to the besieged town of Talbiseh in Homs province later on Monday, the Red Cross said, for the first time since July.
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has criticised the United States as being obstructive and deceptive regarding the raid by coalition warplanes which left at least 83 Syrian soldiers dead. However, the US officials said details of the agreement were shared on Monday.
The story No pause in Australian air strikes on Islamic State despite fatal blunder against Syrian forces first appeared on The Sydney Morning Herald.
In the wake of the Syrian announcement, Kerry expressed annoyance at Damascus and Moscow’s handling of the ceasefire.
As many as 275,000 people remain trapped in Aleppo’s battleground, without food, water or medical care, Stephen O’Brien, the United Nations undersecretary general for humanitarian affairs, said.
Already widely violated since it took effect a week ago, the ceasefire came under added strain at the weekend when Russian Federation said jets from the USA -led coalition against Islamic State killed more than 60 Syrian soldiers in eastern Syria.
Syria’s military command said in a statement that “armed terrorist groups” repeatedly violated the provisions required under the agreement 300 times, and accused rebels of using the truce to rearm while attacking government-held positions, Reuters reported.
Abu al-Baraa al-Hamawi, a rebel commander, said the most intense bombardments had taken in place in areas west of Aleppo, the same area where the aid convoy was hit.
Assad said Monday the airstrikes by the USA -led coalition against his troops were meant to support the Islamic State group, calling the attack a “blatant American aggression”. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 29 children and teenagers were among those killed, as well as 17 women.
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Russian Federation has demanded the United States conduct a full investigation into US-led airstrikes carried out against the Syrian army which led to the death of at least 60 soldiers.
