Baladi News - Journals
Gunmen opened fire at the convoy of a joint humanitarian assessment mission in eastern Syria, the United Nations said Saturday, wounding a local driver in one of the country's most remote areas where fighting against Islamic State militants has displaced thousands.
The attack on Thursday complicated an already dire situation, where a lack of security in the area has made delivering assistance to at least 6,000 displaced people unsustainable.
Fadwa Baroud, of the Office of the U.N. resident coordinator, said the driver is recovering from gunshot wounds. Two gunmen on a motorcycle opened fire at the clearly marked convoy about 50 kilometers (30 miles) from where the U.S.-led coalition and local Syrian fighters are battling militants in their last pocket, in eastern Deir Ezzor province.
The convoy was dispatched to assess dire humanitarian conditions due to the escalation in fighting.
Baroud said 6,000 people have been displaced since October and an estimated 7,000-10,000 others remain in the IS-held Hajin enclave.
Source: The Daily Mail Online.