Russian MFA: terror attacks in Syria aimed to foil Annan plan

PanARMENIAN.Net - The series of terrorist attacks that hit Syrian cities over the last week are aimed at foiling a peace plan by UN and Arab League envoy Kofi Annan, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday, May 2.

“Moscow sharply condemns the new terrorist acts and emphasizes that they [terrorists] had actually launched a massive campaign on destabilizing the situation and foiling the plan by UN and Arab League envoy Kofi Annan,” the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry also said Friday’s blasts in the Syrian capital of Damascus marked the arrival of Norwegian Maj. Gen. Robert Mood, who heads the UN mission monitoring the shaky truce between the Syrian government and protestors.

The ministry said that Moscow “would do its best” to stop the violence in Syria, RIA Novosti reported.

A power explosion rocked the Syrian capital of Damascus on Friday with at least three people killed and ten injured. The blast, which occurred near a mosque, was reportedly carried out by a suicide bomber, Syrian media said.

Three days later twin blasts ripped through two districts in Syria's northern province of Idlib, killing nine people and injuring dozens.

The explosions came two weeks after the ceasefire came into force in Syria on April 12 as part of Annan’s peace plan.

According to UN estimates, more than 34 children have been killed in Syria since the ceasefire was implemented.

More than 9,000 people have been killed in Syria since the outbreak of the popular uprising against President Bashar al-Assad in March, 2011, the UN said.

Moscow has twice vetoed UN Security Council resolutions over what it called a pro-rebel bias since the start of the uprising against Assad, but has given its full backing to Kofi Annan’s peace plan.