Diplomats including Secretary of State John Kerry were encouraged by a “fragile” and “tenuous” cease-fire in Syria last week, which was overshadowed when coalition forces mistakenly conducted an air strike on Syrian military forces fighting ISIS, killing more than 60 troops and convincing Syria that the United States was siding with the terrorists.
Kerry and other world leaders are gathered in New York today, and Kerry expressed hope that the movement of UN aid trucks into Aleppo was a sign that things were improving. “We’ll see where we are in the course of the day,” he told reporters Monday. About that …
Humanitarian Aid Is on Its Way to Besieged Parts of Syria, John Kerry Says https://t.co/TWfg0eu3xx
— cultures development (@culture_develop) September 19, 2016
Inter-agency convoy is crossing the conflict line to Big Orem in #Aleppo #Syria to deliver aid w/ @UN @SYRedCrescent pic.twitter.com/Sfb95ARdCl
— OCHA Syria (@OCHA_Syria) September 19, 2016
Things have not gone well over the course of the day, with news that the first UN aid convoy to roll into Aleppo was destroyed in an air strike, attributed to Russian or Syrian aircraft.
Someone appears to have bombed a UN aid convoy that finally reached besieged Aleppo. If confirmed, the definition of a war crime. https://t.co/VnKJJOlhX8
— Mark MacKinnon (@markmackinnon) September 19, 2016
UN confirms attack on aid convoy near the Syrian city of Aleppo, after reports of air strike https://t.co/u61TteYrPC
— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) September 19, 2016
https://twitter.com/MiddleEastEyes/status/777920644042387456
Official confirms to @ABC #UN convoy carrying aid to 78,000 people in #Aleppo attacked – not clear if air strike, IED or by whom. #Syria
— Jon Williams (@WilliamsJon) September 19, 2016
More than 20 aid trucks meant for besieged Aleppo set on fire by regime air strikes on Big Orem Rd. in rural Aleppo.
— هادي العبدالله Hadi (@HadiAlabdallah) September 19, 2016
Syria: @UN officials confirm aid convoy attacked as it was unloading food & household supplies in a warehouse in a town in Aleppo province
— Somini Sengupta? (@SominiSengupta) September 19, 2016
UN appears to have confirmed that its aid convoy to Aleppo has been bombed. Locals say the warplane returned to strike the rescue team.
— Louisa Loveluck (@leloveluck) September 19, 2016
Syrian fighter jets bombed a convoy of #UN aid west of the city of #Aleppo and predicted more than 10 dead from the #Syrian Red Crescent pic.twitter.com/RQZtJrLCV6
— Ryad Alhussen (@ryadalhussin) September 19, 2016
This is said to be the UN/Syrian Red Crescent aid convoy after it was bombed in Aleppo tonight. Ugh. pic.twitter.com/945ZfM7HiB
— Liz Sly (@LizSly) September 19, 2016
Source in Aleppo: 12 employees & volunteers of the Syrian Arab Crescent were killed in the airstrikes on the UN aid convoy in Oram al-Kubra
— Elizabeth Tsurkov (@Elizrael) September 19, 2016
https://twitter.com/DavidKenner/status/777952401370284032
12 humanitarian workers killed, including Syrian Red Crescent head Omar Barkat, plus 18 injured, by Russian air strikes on aid convoy. pic.twitter.com/KdHelHtnFs
— هادي العبدالله Hadi (@HadiAlabdallah) September 19, 2016
Aid officials: UN food relief convoy was bombed as it unloaded at warehouses at Orem al-Kubra, in rebel-held Aleppo countryside.
— Julian Borger (@julianborger) September 19, 2016
Aid official on attack on UN convoy: "All standard de-confliction had been done so it is in-expliciable that such attack could take place."
— Julian Borger (@julianborger) September 19, 2016
Seems hit on #UN aid convoy was by #Russia Air Force and not Syrian. Fog of war again ?
— EHSANI2 (@EHSANI22) September 19, 2016
There is no way Assad and Putin didn't know that was a UN aid convoy. None.
— Zeddy (@Zeddary) September 19, 2016
US and #Russia seek to salvage ceasefire; #Syria calls it finished – Middle East – Stripes https://t.co/3NzoILgRzX
— Bob Reid (@rhreid) September 19, 2016
It doesn’t look like the cease-fire is salvageable, not that it was going well.
Crazy bloody night on #Aleppo more than 50 raids & barrel bombs, +33 civilians killed & 31 trucks of #WFP convey targeted#A24
— Aleppo24 (@24Aleppo) September 19, 2016
Aleppo is under heavy bombardment, within an hour of Syria calling off the ceasefire. Planes, helicopters in the sky. People are terrified.
— Liz Sly (@LizSly) September 19, 2016
Aleppo residents say bombs are falling like rain. Hospitals are at capacity. Rescue efforts in the dark complicated by lack of electricity
— Liz Sly (@LizSly) September 19, 2016
And Kerry will count this as a diplomatic accomplishment.@LizSly @katherinemiller https://t.co/VDwO001q0S
— S D Winkler (@sdwinkler) September 19, 2016
Kerry cited the UN aid convoy to Aleppo today as "real movement." Now news is breaking that the convoy has been bombed by airstrikes.
— Liz Sly (@LizSly) September 19, 2016
Kerry has had to eat more humble pie than is good for anyone.
— Matthew Hoffman (@mathof1) September 19, 2016
@emile_hokayem he said "let us see what will happen tomorrow". I'm not sure he's seeing
— Muhanad Abul Husn (@Muhanadabulhusn) September 19, 2016
Ceasefire very over. https://t.co/bPC7CtUMv9
— Mark MacKinnon (@markmackinnon) September 19, 2016
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Related:
Oops? US will consider condolence payments to Syrian troops killed accidentally in coalition airstrike https://t.co/yAFrXA9g5Q
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) September 17, 2016
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