MOSCOW: Russia’s Defense Ministry denied on Monday that Russian war planes had carried out deadly airstrikes on a village in Syria’s Deir Ezzor province that had killed dozens of civilians, the Interfax news agency reported.
Moscow was responding after the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that at least 53 civilians, including 21 children, had been killed in Russian airstrikes in the eastern Syrian village of Al-Shafah.
The Observatory relies on a network of sources inside Syria, and says it determines whose planes carry out raids according to type, location, flight patterns and munitions used.
The monitor had initially given a death toll of 34 civilians but the number spiked after more bodies were recovered.
“The toll increased after removing the debris in a long day of rescue operation,” Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Observatory told AFP, adding the strikes hit “residential buildings.”
At least 18 people were also wounded in the air raids, he added.
Russia is a close ally of Syria’s President Bashar Assad, and in September 2015 began a military intervention in support of his government that has gradually helped Damascus regain territory.
Syria’s Deir Ezzor is one of the last places Daesh holds territory in the country, after being driven from their major strongholds including their one-time de facto Syrian capital Raqqa city.
Moscow was responding after the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that at least 53 civilians, including 21 children, had been killed in Russian airstrikes in the eastern Syrian village of Al-Shafah.
The Observatory relies on a network of sources inside Syria, and says it determines whose planes carry out raids according to type, location, flight patterns and munitions used.
The monitor had initially given a death toll of 34 civilians but the number spiked after more bodies were recovered.
“The toll increased after removing the debris in a long day of rescue operation,” Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Observatory told AFP, adding the strikes hit “residential buildings.”
At least 18 people were also wounded in the air raids, he added.
Russia is a close ally of Syria’s President Bashar Assad, and in September 2015 began a military intervention in support of his government that has gradually helped Damascus regain territory.
Syria’s Deir Ezzor is one of the last places Daesh holds territory in the country, after being driven from their major strongholds including their one-time de facto Syrian capital Raqqa city.
