Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Russian bombers 'strike refugee camp on Jordanian border'

(The Telegraph) Twelve people were killed and dozens injured when warplanes that appeared to be Russian bombed a refugee camp on the Jordanian-Syrian border on Tuesday, Syrian rebels have said.

If confirmed, the attack would be the first time Russia’s airforce has bombed so close to the Jordanian border since Vladimir Putin launched a military intervention in September 2015.

The strikes, carried out by a number of aircraft, reportedly hit a refugee camp near the Hadalat border crossing on Tuesday.

A senior Western diplomat confirmed the incident and said several Russian jets appeared to have conducted the raids, Reuters reported.

The Russian ministry of defence had not commented on the claims as of Wednesday lunchtime.

Humanitarian workers in Jordan said they believed women and children had been killed in the bombing but that it was difficult to confirm as they were unable to access the makeshift camp inside Syria.

The targeted camp near the Hadalat crossing houses thousands of Syrians as they wait in the searing desert heat in the hope of being allowed into Jordan.

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