CAPITALS — Russia has denied its warplanes carried out air strikes on a village in eastern Syria on Sunday, which activists say killed dozens of civilians.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 53 people died in al-Shafah, while website DeirEzzor24 put the toll at 25.
Both said Russian aircraft, which are supporting Syrian pro-government forces battling, Daesh, the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) organisation, in the area, were behind the attack.
But on Monday Russia's defence ministry insisted it did not bomb al-Shafah.
"The Russian Aerospace Forces' strikes in Syria target areas outside population centres, and only facilities of the international terrorist groups," a statement said, according to Russian news agencies.
(BBC)
