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Artillery fire inures 4 foreign journalists in Syria

Tuesday, 01 March 2016 6:49 PM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 01 March 2016 6:48 PM ]

In this frame grab made from the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service, an artillery shell explodes away from a group of journalists in the Syrian village of Kinsibba, near the Turkish border, March 1, 2016. ©AP

Four foreign journalists have been injured by heavy artillery fire targeting an area in Syria's northwestern province of Latakia along the Syria-Turkey border.

According to a report by Russian news agency RIA Novosti, the defense ministry said the attack was carried out on Tuesday in the village of Kinsibba, adding that shelling came from the town of Bidama and elsewhere along the border with Turkey.

The journalist were slightly injured and received treatment, it said.

Syria’s official SANA news agency also reported a mortar assault, saying the mortars were fired from the Turkish side of the border.

A military source denounced the shelling as “a breach of the cessation of hostilities,” and denounced it as evidence of the extent of Ankara’s support for terrorist groups operating in Syria, the agency added.

The four reporters who are said to be from Russia, China, Bulgaria and Canada were part of a group of 33 foreign journalists visiting an area recently seized from militants.

Media reports said the al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front militant group was behind the attack.

The shelling comes despite a ceasefire agreement in Syria brokered by Russia and the United States that entered into force on February 27. The truce, however, does not include the Takfiri Daesh and the al-Nusra Front terrorists.

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday called for the closure of the Turkish border with Syria, saying the region is used to smuggle weapons into the Arab country to supply terror groups operating in Syria.

Turkey has been among the main supporters of the militant groups operating in Syria, with reports saying that Ankara actively trains and arms the Takfiri terrorists there and facilitates their safe passage into the crisis-hit Arab state.

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