US says Russia is responsible for the air strike in Syria's Aleppo on the aid convoy carrying humanitarian relief, saying this information is verified by local sources
United States officials have accused Russia of bombing the aid convoy in the northern Syrian province of Aleppo, saying they reached the preliminary conclusion that Russian warplanes bombed an aid convoy and warehouse belonging to the Syrian Arab Red Crescent.
"All of our information indicates clearly that this was an airstrike. That means there could have only been two entities responsible," Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said Tuesday night, naming Moscow and the Syrian regime in his speech to CNN International.
The U.S. official supported their statement by saying that Russia had the position to be able to conduct that attack which was verified by local sources.
Before the U.S., Moscow said that neither Russian nor Syrian aircraft bombed an aid convoy in Syria's Aleppo.
"The air forces of Russia and Syria did not conduct any strikes against the UN aid convoy in the southwestern outskirts of Aleppo," Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in a statement carried by Russian news agencies.
The Red Cross said at least 20 people were killed in the attack on trucks carrying humanitarian relief to thousands of Syrians.
The incident was the most serious challenge to the week-old Syrian cease-fire and came just hours after the Syrian government declared the agreement had expired.
The ceasefire agreement caused disputes between Russia and the U.S. which blamed each other for the violation of the ceasefire during the Eid al-Adha.
The ceasefire established in Syria has been violated 199 times since it came into force five days ago, a Russian defense ministry official was quoted as saying on Saturday.
However, Assad forces and Russia also continued their attacks during the ceasefire.
Also, at least 62 Syrian forces were killed and almost 100 others were injured during an anti-Daesh coalition attack on a military base in eastern Syria.
The attack was followed by a U.S. statement, expressing its regret over the incident, stating that it was accidental.
