Russian Reconciliation Center identifies Turkish-backed armed groups as perpetrators of Tal-Rifaat massacre

Northern Syria – North-Press Agency

The Russian Reconciliation Center in Syria has announced that the Turkish-backed armed opposition groups had targeted a sports club in the town of Tal Rifaat in northern Aleppo countryside, in which, eight children and two other civilians were killed, and many other civilians were seriously injured, while the United Nations has expressed fdeep concerns over the Turkish military escalation of the bombardment operations in northern Syria.

The Chief of the Russian Center for Reconciliation Major-General Yury Borenkov announced in a statement on Wednesday, that the armed opposition groups have killed 10 civilians, including 8 children and injuring 13 others. Maj. Gen. Borenkov explained that the armed groups targeted the sports club in Tal-Rifaat with 120 mm mortars from the village of Jabrin, in the northern countryside of Aleppo.

The Spokesperson for the Secretary-General Stephane Dujarric said in a press conference on Wednesday, that the humanitarian organizations are highly concerned about the fate of millions of people who have been subjected to aerial and artillery bombardment in the past few days that caused many civilian casualties. Dujarric stated that more than half of these civilians were displaced inside Syria. "According to received reports, at least nine people were killed in an artillery attack in Tal-Rifaat in northern Aleppo," he said.

It is noteworthy that the U.N. Security Council held a closed session yesterday, to discuss the latest developments in Syria.