MOSCOW: Russia has accused Belgium, a member of a US-led coalition fighting militants in Syria, of killing six civilians in air strikes in the Aleppo region but the claim was swiftly denied by Brussels.
“Six people were killed and four people injured to various degrees as a result of bombing that destroyed two homes” in the village of Hassajik in the Aleppo region early on Tuesday, the Russian defence ministry said in a statement.
“Two of Belgium’s F-16s were identified at that time in the region,” it said late Tuesday. “There were no Russian and Syrian air force planes in this region.”
Earlier, Russia’s Defense Ministry said an October 18 strike on the village of Hassajek in Aleppo Province killed six civilians and wounded four other people.
It also said two Belgian F-16 fighter jets from the U.S.-led coalition fighting Islamic State militants were identified over the area at the time of the strike.—APP
