Video Footage Shows Militants' Vehicle Near UN Aid Convoy

Rasa - The Russian military unveiled a video footage of a UN humanitarian aid convoy that came under attack in Aleppo province in Northern Syria on Tuesday, showing militants' pickup vehicle carrying a large-caliber mortar as part of the convoy.

News ID: 423759

Date: 21 September 2016 - 13:35

RNA - The video shows that the UN aid convoy was accompanied by a terrorists' off-road vehicle with a large-caliber mortar launcher, the Russian Defense Ministry spokesman said.

"The examination of the video footage made via drones of the movement of the humanitarian convoy in areas controlled by militants in the province of Aleppo has revealed new details. The video clearly shows how terrorists are redeploying a pickup with a large-caliber mortar on it using the convoy as a cover," Major General Igor Konashenkov added.

The video footage came as some media outlets claimed that the UN convoy had come under attack by the Syrian army.

The Russian General added that "it is unclear yet who accompanies whom: the [pickup with a] mortar accompanies the convoy with 'White Helmets' volunteers or vise versa. And most importantly, where did the mortar disappear near the destination point of the convoy and what was the target of its fire during the convoy's stop and unloading?"

On Monday, the United Nations’ Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that the aid convoy crossed the conflict line in the Orum al-Kubra village near Syrian city of Aleppo.

On Tuesday, a Syrian Amy source refuted the reports circulated by some media outlets about the Syrian Army targeting a humanitarian aid convoy in Aleppo province.

The source said there’s no truth to the rumors circulated during the past few hours by some media outlets about the Syrian Arab Army targeting a humanitarian aid convoy in Orum al-Kubra village North of Aleppo, SANA reported.

Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry also said that neither the Russian Aerospace Forces nor the Syrian Air Force targeted humanitarian aid convoys in Aleppo Province.

"No airstrikes were carried out against a humanitarian aid convoy in a Southwestern suburb of Aleppo by Russian or Syrian aviation," Konashenkov told Sputnik.

"Seeing as the convoy’s route lied through the territories controlled by militants, the Russian reconciliation center monitored its passage yesterday via drones," Konashenkov added.

The examination of video footage reveals no signs of an ammunition strikes on the convoy, he said. The UN said that it is premature to name the party responsible for the attack.

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