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| US denies carrying out Syria mosque air strike near Aleppo which killed at least 42 people | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| At least 42 people - most of them civilians - have been killed and dozens more injured after warplanes struck a mosque in rebel-held Aleppo province during prayer time, Syrian war monitors have reported. | At least 42 people - most of them civilians - have been killed and dozens more injured after warplanes struck a mosque in rebel-held Aleppo province during prayer time, Syrian war monitors have reported. |
| More than 300 people were gathered for evening prayers on Thursday at Umar ibn Al-Khaṭṭab mosque in the village of al-Jina when the attack occurred, the UK based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. | More than 300 people were gathered for evening prayers on Thursday at Umar ibn Al-Khaṭṭab mosque in the village of al-Jina when the attack occurred, the UK based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. |
| Estimates vary as to how many died. The volunteer Syrian Civil Defence rescue service said dozens of people remain buried under rubble. | Estimates vary as to how many died. The volunteer Syrian Civil Defence rescue service said dozens of people remain buried under rubble. |
| US Central Command has denied that coalition jets deliberately hit the mosque, but said that strikes on Thursday targeted an al-Qaeda meeting location in Idlib. A later statement clarified that it was not clear where the strikes had taken place, and made no mention of civilian casualties. | US Central Command has denied that coalition jets deliberately hit the mosque, but said that strikes on Thursday targeted an al-Qaeda meeting location in Idlib. A later statement clarified that it was not clear where the strikes had taken place, and made no mention of civilian casualties. |
| “We did not target a mosque, but the building that we did target - which was where the meeting [of militants] took place - is about 50ft (15m) from a mosque that is still standing,” spokesperson Colonel John J Thomas said. | “We did not target a mosque, but the building that we did target - which was where the meeting [of militants] took place - is about 50ft (15m) from a mosque that is still standing,” spokesperson Colonel John J Thomas said. |
| Photos shared by activists reportedly from the scene showed bomb debris carrying serial numbers which identified the weapons used as American made Hellfire missiles. | Photos shared by activists reportedly from the scene showed bomb debris carrying serial numbers which identified the weapons used as American made Hellfire missiles. |
| The Syrian and Russian air forces also carry out frequent strikes in Aleppo and Idlib provinces against both Western-backed and al-Qaeda linked rebel forces. | The Syrian and Russian air forces also carry out frequent strikes in Aleppo and Idlib provinces against both Western-backed and al-Qaeda linked rebel forces. |
| Al-Jina, just west of Aleppo, is located firmly within rebel territory. | Al-Jina, just west of Aleppo, is located firmly within rebel territory. |
| Its population has been swollen by internally displaced refugees since east Aleppo fell back under government control in December 2016, when under an amnesty deal its inhabitants were bussed out to surrounding rebel towns and villages. | Its population has been swollen by internally displaced refugees since east Aleppo fell back under government control in December 2016, when under an amnesty deal its inhabitants were bussed out to surrounding rebel towns and villages. |
| The civil war - which has just entered its seventh year - has left almost half a million people dead and sparked the world's worst refugee crisis since WWII. | The civil war - which has just entered its seventh year - has left almost half a million people dead and sparked the world's worst refugee crisis since WWII. |