The United Nations (UN) has suspended all aid convoys in Syria after a devastating air attack on its lorries near Aleppo on Monday. The strikes destroyed 18 of the 31 lorries, which were bringing wheat, clothes and medical kit to the area around Urum al-Kubra.
A senior local official of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent was among about 20 civilians killed, aid officials said.
Russia and Syria have both insisted that their forces were not involved in the incident.
The attack on the convoy left aid supplies damaged beyond use and strewn over the ground (AP photo)
Russian defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said that after studying video taken at the scene they “did not find any signs of munitions hitting the convoy”.
“Everything shown in the video is the direct result of a fire which mysteriously began at the same time as a large scale rebel attack on Aleppo,” he said. The Syrian military, quoted by state media, said there was “no truth” to reports that the army had targeted the convoy.
A media activist who witnessed the attack told the BBC Arabic service that Russian reconnaissance planes had been spotted, apparently filming the passage of the convoy.
He said the first strike came at about 19:00 local time on Monday, when a helicopter dropped several barrel bombs. This was followed by rocket and machine-gun fire from aircraft, he said.
