Airstrike kills 20 children in Syria's Idlib province, Russia denies involvement
Russia has denied that it is behind an airstrike that killed at least 20 school children in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province, TASS reported.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said the strike was carried out by Russian aircraft that targeted the village of Hass where a school is located.
"The dead children are students and the planes are believed to be Russian," said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Britain-based SOHR, as quoted by Al-Jazeera.
According to an opposition activist with the Idlib Media Center, "One rocket hit the entrance of the school as students were leaving to go home, after the school administration decided to end classes for the day because of the raids."
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova denied that Russian aircraft carried out the strike.
"Russia has nothing to do with that terrible tragedy, with that attack," Zakharova said.
"We demand that all international organizations join the investigation without further delay," she added.
Prior to Zakharova’s comments, Russia's Ambassador to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin said, "It's horrible, I hope we were not involved. It's the easiest thing for me to say no, but I'm a responsible person, so I need to see what my Ministry of Defense is going to say."
Idlib province is controlled by the Army of Conquest, an alliance of rebel groups, including some that had previously been affiliated with Al-Nusra Front.
An estimated 26 civilians were killed in the strike, at least 20 of whom were school children.