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Pentagon Unsure Who Launched Attack on Syrian Hospital

© AFP 2023 / GHAITH OMRAN / AL-MAARRA TODAY People gather around the rubble of a hospital supported by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) near Maaret al-Numan, in Syria's northern province of Idlib, on February 15, 2016
People gather around the rubble of a hospital supported by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) near Maaret al-Numan, in Syria's northern province of Idlib, on February 15, 2016 - Sputnik International
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US-led coalition airstrikes are not responsible for the assault on a hospital affiliated with Doctors Without Borders (MSF) earlier in the week in Syria, and a special investigation is necessary to find out the guilty party, Pentagon spokesperson Peter Cook said during a press briefing on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — On Monday, the Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said that a hospital in the northwestern Syrian city of Maarat Numan, in the Idlib province, was hit by four rockets. It did not say which of the warring parties was suspected to be behind the deadly attack.

"What I can tell you is that United States coalition aircraft were not flying in that region so I can tell you from our standpoint that we weren’t involved and I’m not going to at this point suggest to you who may have been responsible but it wasn’t the United States or coalition aircraft," Cook said.

A bulldozer is unloaded from a truck as people gather around the rubble of a hospital supported by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) near Maaret al-Numan, in Syria's northern province of Idlib, on February 15, 2016 - Sputnik International
Data Shows Airstrikes on Syrian Hospital Launched by US-Led Coalition Jet
Meanwhile, Syrian Ambassador to Moscow Riad Haddad accused the US of striking a hospital in Syria’s Idlib province, while Turkey's Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu accused Russia of striking the hospital.

The Pentagon spokesperson added that a careful assessment on the ground is needed to find out the responsible for the attack.

"I know there are questions about the Russian activities in the region, but I can’t say with specificity who was directly responsible," Cook said.

Rubble of a hospital supported by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) near Maaret al-Numan, in Syria's northern province of Idlib. - Sputnik International
Russia Denies Ankara's Claims of Ballistic Missile Strike on Hospital
The Russian Defense Ministry has repeatedly said that allegations of civilian casualties in Russia's strikes are aimed to distract the international community form the four-year-long Syrian civil war. Moscow reiterated that all information regarding targets is always checked and double-checked before delivering strikes.

Moscow urged not to trust distorted media reports and "not become a victim of perverse information".

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