Russian Defense Ministry: US coalition predator drone observed in the area when humanitarian aid convoy was targeted

Moscow – Russia’s Defense Ministry stated that a US coalition Predator drone took off from the Incirlik air base in Turkey and flew over the area when a humanitarian aid convoy was targeted in Aleppo Countryside.

The Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said that in addition to surveillance, the unmanned aircrafts such as Predator are capable of launching airstrikes, noting that “the object was in the area around the town of Urm Al-Kubra, where the convoy was a few minutes before it caught fire and left after about 30 minutes,” SANA reported.

 Konashenkov reiterated that the Russian air force planes didn’t carry out any airstrike at the area in Urm Al-Kubra where the attack on the humanitarian aid convoy took place.

He added that the Russian side informed its American counterpart about that, noting that the leadership of the Russian forces in Hmeimim air base has given detailed information on the Russian movements in the area on 19th of September to the representative of the US air force in a phone call.

“Our western colleagues are putting their best efforts to hype up the situation and ‘blur’ the tragedy in Deir Ezzor and to distract the international community from Al-Nusra’s advance on Aleppo and thus cover the US incompetence in distinguishing between the ‘moderate’ opposition and terrorists in Syria,” Konashenkov said.

On Monday, a humanitarian aid convoy was attacked in Urm al-Kubra village in the countryside of Aleppo province.