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French FM calls on Russian Federation to reign in Assad

But both have accused the other of failing to adequately rein in forces under their influence on the ground – rebels, in the case of the United States, and the Syrian government, in Russia’s case.

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Mr Johnson appeared to go further, saying the convoy could have been deliberately targeted.

Syria’s military has used TOS-1 launchers a few times within the Civil War, but Russian Federation is as yet not confirmed to have done so, or indeed to even have deployed such weapons to Syria.

Saturday’s capture of the Handarat was a major breakthrough for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces.

Appearing on BBC1’s The Andrew Marr Show, Mr Johnson said it was “the right question to ask” whether an air strike last week on a United Nations aid convoy – widely blamed on Russian warplanes – constituted a war crime.

United Nations children’s charity, UNICEF, said this week’s renewed airstrikes – which further dashed hopes of reviving last week’s cease-fire – had damaged a water pumping station which supplies about 250,000 people in rebel-held eastern parts and violence is preventing fix teams from reaching it.

Medical workers and local officials reported airstrikes on neighborhoods throughout Aleppo’s rebel-held eastern districts as an announced government offensive entered its fourth day.

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson says Russian Federation should be investigated for war crimes following an attack on a Syrian aid convoy that claimed 20 lives.

He said that the Syrian government’s use of airstrikes, incendiary weapons and bunker-buster bombs in densely populated areas may amount to war crimes.

“Our belief in victory is even greater now that the Syrian Arab army is making great strides in its war against terrorism”, Walid Muallem told the UN General Assembly.

Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that any revival of the cessation of hostilities in Syria could not depend on unilateral concessions by his country alone.

The attacks on civilians amount to a “breach of global humanitarian law”, top European Union officials said on Saturday, urging the worldwide community to intensify peace efforts.

Airstrikes on Friday damaged a pumping station that supplies water to the eastern parts of the city.

“Depriving children of water puts them at risk of catastrophic outbreaks of water-borne diseases”, she said.

The previous ceasefire was reached after a deal was reached between the U.S. and Russian Federation.

“People in Aleppo already suffocating under the effects of the siege, have yet again come under horrific attack”, said Carlos Francisco, MSF head of mission in Syria.

In retaliation, Unicef said, a nearby station pumping water to the west of Aleppo had been switched off.

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The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based organisation that reports on the war, said it had documented 47 deaths since Friday, including five children.

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