Russia: We did not raid school
Russian President Vladimir Putin. He on November 9, 2016 congratulated Donald Trump on his election win. PHOTO | AFP
What you need to know:
- The tensions mounted a day after the US and Britain said they expected an assault in the next few weeks to drive the Islamic State jihadists out of Raqa, its de facto capital in Syria.
MOSCOW
Russia has denied involvement in deadly air strikes on a Syrian school and rejected a UN-led investigation showing its ally Damascus carried out chemical attacks, as Moscow’s relations with the West take another hit.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon demanded an immediate investigation into Wednesday’s attack on the school in rebel-held Idlib province that “may amount to a war crime”.
The tensions mounted a day after the US and Britain said they expected an assault in the next few weeks to drive the Islamic State jihadists out of Raqa, its de facto capital in Syria.
Syria’s conflict broke out in March 2011 with peaceful protests against President Bashar al-Assad’s government but has evolved into a complex war involving regional and international powers that has killed more than 300,000 people and displaced millions.
One complication has been the involvement of Turkey, whose President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced his country’s military operation supporting Syrian rebels would also target Raqa.
