DAMASCUS, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- The governor of Aleppo denied on Saturday media reports that the drinking water had been cut off in the northern province, saying only two water pumps were damaged and the maintenance work is underway to fix them as soon as possible, the state-run SANA news agency said.
Governor Mohammad Aqqad said that the two water pumps had been damaged by "sabotage acts," adding that they only feed three districts, al-Midan, Azizieh and Slaimanieh, in which the water has been cut off.
He said that all other places in Aleppo have no water problems at all.
Quoted by Syria's state TV, Aqqad dismissed as baseless media reports claiming that the drinking water in the battered province is poisoned.
The governor's remarks have come amid reports saying that all telecommunications to Aleppo had been cut off as the city is witnessing intense clashes between the government troops and the armed rebels.
DAMASCUS, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Armed men fired mortar shells at a church and a convent in Syria's northern province Aleppo on Saturday, causing material damages only, the state-TV said.
The TV said "armed terrorist groups" were behind the shelling, adding that no casualties had been caused at Mar-Mikhail church and al-Mauna convent, which are located in al-Azizieh area in Aleppo.
Targeting Christian communities in Syria is relatively rare despite some reports surfaced lately that some Christians in central Homs province were forced to leave their areas and had to seek sanctuary in towns dominated by Christians. Full story
VLADIVOSTOK, Russia, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Russia hoped that the UN Security Council could approve the Geneva communique over Syria later this month, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Saturday.
"We emphasized at a meeting with the U.S. secretary of state that Russia will push for the Security Council to approve the Geneva communique," Lavrov told a news conference after his talks with Hillary Clinton on the sidelines of the APEC 2012 gathering. Full story
DAMASCUS, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Twin blasts rocked the Syrian capital of Damascus on Friday, leaving at least six people killed as intense clashes and violence continued elsewhere causing a number of casualties.
The first blast had been caused by a booby-trapped motorcycle, which exploded near a mosque on Friday afternoon while worshipers were leaving prayers, the state-news agency SANA said, adding that six members of government forces and civilians had been killed. Full story
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