Syrian forces strike UN observer mission’s cars

A ROADSIDE bomb struck cars belonging to the United Nations’ observer mission in Syria yesterday, minutes after regime forces opened fired on a funeral procession nearby, witnesses said.

“The front of a UN car took a direct hit,” said Fadi al-Yassin, who saw the incident in the northern town of Khan Sheikhoun. “Everyone ran in panic but the observers stayed in the car.”

Just minutes earlier, Syrian forces fired on a funeral procession, activists said. Al-Yassin and the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights estimated the death toll could be as high as 20.

“This is a real massacre and it took place in the presence of UN observers,” Rami Abdul-Rahman, head of the Observatory, said.

A video posted online appeared to show the moment the UN vehicle was struck. The blast hit the front of the first vehicle and sent up a plume of smoke as people sran for cover. The four cars then slowly drive away.