21st Century Wire says…
Russian bomb squads and sappers who have been clearing areas of east Aleppo of terrorist booby traps and mines have discovered American and German made munitions of various types from small arms to hand grenades to rockets made to fire from multiple-rocket launchers.
Should we be surprised to find that the Russian Defense Ministry is releasing this newly uncovered evidence? Undoubtedly most 21WIRE readers have been expecting to see reports like this as the situational awareness on the ground in east Aleppo is becoming more clear as the armed fighters have left the area or been routed out by the Syrian Arab Army.
The discovery of western munitions from NATO countries was quite predictable. It was an easy prediction to make after 21WIRE reported that at least 14 US Coalition Military Officers captured by Syrian Special Forces in an east Aleppo bunker.
Since starting their mine-swiping mission in the Syrian city three weeks ago, the sappers have cleared 966 hectares, the Russian Syrian Reconciliation Center reported on Wednesday. They reported 2,149 building in and near Aleppo as safe, including 44 schools, 38 mosques, 10 medical facilities and other crucial civilian infrastructure. They also swept 350km of roads in the area for mines, the report said.
The teams discovered and defused some 14,700 dangerous items, including 6,700 IEDs. The munitions discovered in stockpiles left behind by various armed groups ranged from small arms rounds and hand grenades all the way up to rockets meant for multiple-rocket launchers.
Footage of the ongoing demining operation released by the Russian Defense Ministry showed crates full of various munitions; some of them marked “Produced in Yugoslavia by Ordnance Corps United States Army.”
“The munitions we found were German, American, Bulgarian… The amount they had was somewhat disconcerting,” Maj. Ivan Gromov, a bomb disposal squad leader said.
The Russian military in Aleppo are assisting with restoring normal life in the city after four years of hostilities. In addition to disposing of explosives, they help with deliveries of humanitarian aid and restoring utilities. A Russian military police unit was deployed to Aleppo to preserve order and prevent possible abuses.
Militants opposing the Syrian government were forced to leave eastern Aleppo after Damascus conducted a successful offensive operation in the city last month…
SEE MORE ALEPPO UPDATES HERE
READ MORE SYRIA NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire Syria Files
