Beirut (AP) – A suspected missile attack on an oil-loading facility used by Turkish-backed opposition forces in northern Syria appears to have triggered a major fire in a large area where tankers are normally stationed, satellite images show .
Syrian opposition groups and at least one war monitor blamed Russia for the attack on Friday night near the cities of Jarablus and al-Bab, near the border with Turkey. In a report, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, based in Britain, said Russian warships in the Mediterranean fired three missiles that hit primitive oil refineries and tank trucks in the region.
The report said more than 180 trucks and tanks were burned in the massive fire and at least four people were killed and 24 injured.
Satellite images from Planet Labs Inc. analyzed by The Associated Press on Sunday showed what appeared to be the result of a major fire that hit an area near Jarablus between Friday and Saturday morning.
Previous satellite photos of the site, about 75 kilometers (45 miles) northeast of the Syrian city of Aleppo, showed hundreds of tankers assembled in the area.
A Saturday image showed char marks across the area where the trucks were. NASA’s satellite fire monitoring, which looks at flashes associated with fires or explosions, showed fires at the scene in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Reports of missiles fired from a Russian warship – a rare occurrence – could not be independently verified and Russia, which is one of the main supporters of Syrian President Bashar Assad in the country’s 10-year civil war, did not comment on the accusations.
Turkish state news agency Anadolu said it was ballistic missiles, but said it was unclear who carried out the attacks.
Turkey and allied Syrian opposition fighters control much of northern Syria.