War of words between US, Russia over the attack on Syrian aid convoy

According to Reuters, on September 20, an aid convoy of the UN near the city of Aleppo was attacked despite requests from the UN. The attack was sustained and highly effective – 18 of 31 trucks were destroyed.

Massimo Diana, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordination a.i. for Syria, and Kevin Kennedy, Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis had confirmed this information and said the air strikes between Syrian government troops and the opposition forces led humanitarian work more difficult. Therefore, the UN has said it would stop all activities of humanitarian aid in Syria.

Trucks carrying relief goods burned after the attack. (Photo: Reuters)

Speaking at the press conference in Geneva, Jens Laerke, spokesman for the Agency for Coordination of UN Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) He also added that the attack on aid convoy on the road to the town of al-Kubra Orum Aleppo province killed 12 people including the head of the Syrian Red Cross.

The Red Cross added the trucks was carrying desperately needed humanitarian relief to thousands of Syrians.

The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura UN Syria has expressed anger over the attack because convoy was the outcome of a long process of permission and preparations to assist isolated civilians.

Immediately after the media informed about the attack, the White House Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said that Russian should take responsibility for the attack and Moscow must be obliged to implement the commitments contained in the agreement to ensure that any aid convoy could easily bring relief to the people at war zone in Syria.

In response, Russia said the accusations against Russia that Washington was designed to distract people's attention from the confusion of the US-led coalition forces attack Syrian armed forces earlier. Russian Foreign Ministry on September 21 emphasized, these allegations are unfounded.

Meanwhile, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov also denied the allegations and pointed out, that the rebels under terrorist organization Jabhat al-Nursa conducted the attack.

The Russian news agency also published information about the attack: "The Russian air forces and Syrian air force did not conduct any attack at the convoy of UN in the southwest of Aleppo".

The attack has certainly ended the tentative one-week ceasefire deal, which was a gamble on unprecedented cooperation between the United States and Russia.