Lavrov denies Syria used Russian bombs

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has denied a human rights organization's claim that Syrian authorities used Russian-made cluster bombs against civilians. "There is no confirmation to this. There are loads of weapons in this region, including in Syria and other countries of the region, and arms are supplied there in large quantities and illegally," Lavrov said. He also said "it is very difficult to establish from where and how ammunition and weapons are supplied there." The Russian FM stressed the need for parties to stop violence and begin negotiations, highlighting the implementation of the Geneva Conventions. The New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) said earlier that during the ongoing conflict in Syria, Russian-made RBK-250 series cluster bomb canisters with AO-1SCh fragmentation bomblets were used by the government troops against the rebel forces.