US: 'No justifiable excuse' for refugee camp airstrike

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON

An airstrike on a refugee camp in northern Syria that resulted in at least 27 deaths is inexcusable, the White House said Thursday.

“There is no justifiable excuse for carrying out an airstrike against innocent civilians who have already once fled their homes to escape violence,” spokesman Josh Earnest said. “These individuals are in the most desperate situation imaginable. And there's no justification for carrying out military action that's targeting them.”

Ahmed Shakir, a Syrian civil defense official, told Anadolu Agency that a regime warplane had targeted the Kamuna refugee camp near Sarmada leaving its tents in flames.

The camp has been home to internally displaced Syrians hailing from Aleppo, Idlib and Latakia. It is roughly 20 kilometers (12 miles) south of the Turkish border and about 30 kilometers (20 miles) west of Aleppo.

Earnest said he believes no U.S. or coalition aircraft were operating in the area "primarily because our efforts are focused on ISIL. And there's little intelligence to substantiate the presence of significant ISIL forces in that region of the country.

"If it does turn out that the Assad regime is responsible for this particular strike, it would not at all be the first time that the Assad regime has used it's military force against innocent civilians in desperate situations," he added.