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1st LD: Syria army denies striking aid convoy in Aleppo

Xinhua, September 20, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Syrian army on Tuesday denied striking aid convoys in the northern province of Aleppo, the Syrian national TV said.

The army said the reports speaking of airstrikes on an aid convoy in the northern countryside of Aleppo were baseless.

A day earlier, at least 20 civilians were killed, as well as an aid worker with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) in an attack that targeted the convoy in Aleppo.

Several opposition groups accused the Russian and Syrian warplanes of targeting the convoy.

Humanitarian organizations in Syria condemned the attacks on Tuesday.

In a joint statement, SARC as well as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the International Federation of Red Cross Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said they were outraged by the "horrific attack" that was carried out on Monday evening on a SARC warehouse and an aid convoy in Orem Al Kubra in the countryside of Aleppo.

The joint statement said 20 civilians were killed as well as a SARC staff member, Omar Barakat, while they were unloading trucks carrying relief aid, much of which was also destroyed.

"The attack deprives thousands of civilians of much-needed food and medical assistance," the joint statement said.

On Tuesday, SARC said it will suspend operations for three days as a result of the attack. The UN also announced Tuesday it had suspended all aid convoys in Syria after its lorries were attacked by warplanes near Aleppo on Monday. Endit