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United Nations suspends all Syria aid convoys after air strike

The politburo chief of one prominent Aleppo rebel group, Fastaqim, said the agreement had “practically failed and has ended”, adding that it remained to be seen if anything could be done “in theory” to save it.

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Another rebel official also signaled the insurgents might soon step up military action.

Jan Egeland, head of the United Nations humanitarian task force for Syria, tweeted that there were “many killed and injured” in the strike.

Alice reports an aid convoy traveling with the permission of the Syrian government was attacked from the air on its way to a rebel-controlled area west of Aleppo city in the morning, and several trucks were destroyed.

The Syrian government claimed rebel groups have breached the ceasefire at least 300 times.

The cease-fire applied to all armed groups in Syria, with the exception of the Daesh terrorist group and the Nusra Front, which recently changed its name to the Fateh al-Sham Front. “The armed terrorist groups took advantage of the declared truce system and mobilized terrorists and weapons and regrouped to continue its attacks on civilian and military areas”.

Russia’s defense ministry had appeared to bury the week-old truce it agreed with the United States, saying rebel violations made it “pointless” for Syrian troops to uphold it.

The State Department said it was ready to work with Russian Federation to strengthen the terms of the agreement and expand deliveries of humanitarian aid.

Aid was delivered to the besieged town of Talbiseh in Homs province on Monday, the Red Cross said, for the first time since July.

United Nations humanitarian chief Stephen O’Brien said initial reports indicated many were killed or seriously injured in the convoy attack, including Syrian Arab Red Crescent volunteers.

The US wants to see Russian Federation restrain its close ally President Bashar al-Assad, who has battered opposition forces largely supported by the US.

He accuses Syrian and Russian aircraft of taking part in an attack that lasted more than two hours, covering a 100 yard-radius.

Speaking to Iran’s deputy foreign minister Hossein Jaberi Ansari, Assad accused world powers of supporting “terrorist organisations” in Syria like the Islamic State jihadist group.

Ansari said Tehran will “give all possible support” to Syria in its war against terrorism.

CNN can not confirm its authenticity nor claims made in the video that the Syrian regime was responsible for the strikes.

Earlier Monday, Lt Gen Sergei Rudskoi of the Russian military’s General Staff said in a briefing that Damascus had fulfilled its obligations.

The opposition High Negotiations Committee spokesman Riad Nassan Agha said the government side had never committed to the truce.

He didn’t explain whether this means Moscow is opting out of the cease-fire and giving the Syrian government the free hand to freely use force again.

His adviser Buthaina Shaaban went further, telling AFP that Damascus believed the raid which killed at least 62 Syrian soldiers had been intentional. Tuesday’s was the “International Syria Support Group”.

“We should not have a short memory, the reality is, without a doubt, that the regime is mainly responsible for the tragedy in Syria”, he said. “Indeed, deliveries only began today and only then in limited areas”.

But both the Syrian army and the rebels spoke openly of returning to the battlefield.

Australia also participated in the strikes and the Australian Department of Defence offered its condolences to the families of Syrian soldiers killed or wounded in the incident.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights did not immediately report any casualties in the raids on the Orum al-Kubra area.

But late last night US State Department spokesman John Kirby called the convoy attack an “egregious violation” of the week-long ceasefire and said America “will reassess the future prospects for co-operation with Russia”.

Uncertainties are prevailing about the truce, which is now in its seventh day.

The US conducted an airstrike on Syrian forces on Saturday – the Pentagon said it accidental and US officials expressed regret.

The Russian defense ministry said USA jets killed more than 60 Syrian soldiers in the eastern city of Deir al-Zor in four air strikes by two F16 and two A10 fighter jets coming from the direction of Iraq.

In a Monday statement, the Danish military says it will cooperate fully with the coalition investigation into the airstrikes in eastern Syria on Saturday.

“It would be good if they didn’t talk first to the press but if they talked to the people who are actually negotiating this”, Kerry said. Spokesman John Kirby said Russian Federation, which is responsible for ensuring Syria’s compliance, should clarify the Syrian position.

The UN held back deliveries destined for Aleppo city because it was unable to obtain security guarantees.

Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov brokered the ceasefire that went into effect September 12.

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Syrian state media said there were 32 violations by rebels on Sunday alone.

All UN aid convoys have been suspended after an air strike on Monday