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Syria conflict: UN urges inquiry into deadly air strike on school | Syria conflict: UN urges inquiry into deadly air strike on school |
(35 minutes later) | |
The UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, has demanded an immediate investigation into an air strike in Syria on Wednesday that reportedly struck a school, killing more than 20 children. | The UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, has demanded an immediate investigation into an air strike in Syria on Wednesday that reportedly struck a school, killing more than 20 children. |
Activists say a village school was targeted in rebel-held Idlib. | Activists say a village school was targeted in rebel-held Idlib. |
The UN also warned that the coming winter could be the worst yet in Syria's five-year-long civil war. | The UN also warned that the coming winter could be the worst yet in Syria's five-year-long civil war. |
Its Syria humanitarian effort head, Jan Egeland, said the brutal conflict had become more ruthless. | Its Syria humanitarian effort head, Jan Egeland, said the brutal conflict had become more ruthless. |
He said it was affecting increasing numbers of civilians. | He said it was affecting increasing numbers of civilians. |
Unicef said that, including the one in Idlib, five Syrian schools had been targeted since 11 October in "simply inhuman" attacks. | |
Emergency responders in Syria and a UK-based monitoring group said on Thursday that the death toll from the Idlib attack had increased to 35, and most of the victims were children. | Emergency responders in Syria and a UK-based monitoring group said on Thursday that the death toll from the Idlib attack had increased to 35, and most of the victims were children. |
It appears the bomb fell in the village of Hass, about 75km (46 miles) south-west of Aleppo. as children were getting ready to go home early because of air strikes. | It appears the bomb fell in the village of Hass, about 75km (46 miles) south-west of Aleppo. as children were getting ready to go home early because of air strikes. |
The BBC has not been able to independently verify the details of the attack. | The BBC has not been able to independently verify the details of the attack. |
Russia has denied that either it or its Syrian allies were responsible. | Russia has denied that either it or its Syrian allies were responsible. |
A spokesman for Russia's defence ministry, Maj Gen Igor Konashenkov, said the claim was a fabrication and that a Russian drone had found the school's roof still intact on Thursday. | A spokesman for Russia's defence ministry, Maj Gen Igor Konashenkov, said the claim was a fabrication and that a Russian drone had found the school's roof still intact on Thursday. |
But the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which gathers information from a network of people within the country, said "warplanes - either Russian or Syrian" had carried out six air strikes on the village. | But the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which gathers information from a network of people within the country, said "warplanes - either Russian or Syrian" had carried out six air strikes on the village. |
Activists shared photographs of dead bodies - many of them children - on the floor of a makeshift treatment centre. | Activists shared photographs of dead bodies - many of them children - on the floor of a makeshift treatment centre. |
Mr Ban said: "If such horrific acts persist despite global outrage, it is largely because their authors, whether in corridors of power or in insurgent redoubts, do not fear justice. | Mr Ban said: "If such horrific acts persist despite global outrage, it is largely because their authors, whether in corridors of power or in insurgent redoubts, do not fear justice. |
"They must be proved wrong." | "They must be proved wrong." |
The head of Unicef said that if deliberate, the attack had been a war crime. | The head of Unicef said that if deliberate, the attack had been a war crime. |
He said: "This latest atrocity may be the deadliest attack on a school since the war began more than five years ago. | He said: "This latest atrocity may be the deadliest attack on a school since the war began more than five years ago. |
"Children lost forever to their families, teachers lost forever to their students, one more scar on Syria's future - when will the world's revulsion at such barbarity be matched by insistence that this must stop?" | "Children lost forever to their families, teachers lost forever to their students, one more scar on Syria's future - when will the world's revulsion at such barbarity be matched by insistence that this must stop?" |
Nowhere safe | Nowhere safe |
Idlib is one of the last strongholds of the Syrian opposition, and the province has been repeatedly bombed by the Syrian and Russian air forces. | Idlib is one of the last strongholds of the Syrian opposition, and the province has been repeatedly bombed by the Syrian and Russian air forces. |
The US-led coalition against so-called Islamic State (IS) has also targeted rival jihadist fighters linked to al-Qaeda who operate there. | The US-led coalition against so-called Islamic State (IS) has also targeted rival jihadist fighters linked to al-Qaeda who operate there. |
As part of efforts by the UN, the people of eastern Aleppo are being offered safe passage to the province, the BBC's James Longman in Beirut says. | As part of efforts by the UN, the people of eastern Aleppo are being offered safe passage to the province, the BBC's James Longman in Beirut says. |
But as these latest attacks demonstrate, he adds, nowhere in rebel-held Syria is free from violence. | But as these latest attacks demonstrate, he adds, nowhere in rebel-held Syria is free from violence. |