02:12Russia: "We were lucky" - RT journalists return to Moscow after Syria shelling
Two RT correspondents who were injured after their press convoy was shelled in Syria's Latakia region, arrived in Moscow early on Thursday morning.
RT's Roman Kosarev sustained a concussion, after a TOW missile hit their convoy near the town of Salma, while RT Arabic's Sargon Hadaya was injured with pieces of shrapnel entering his back and leg.
Both received treatment for their injuries at Russia's Latakia airbase base. "We are glad that we are home finally," Kosarev said.
Hadaya explained the incident, saying "The first rocket hit the hill. Two cars started moving immediately. There was a shooting order. We were third [in the column]. When we turned a guided TOW missile hit the engine. We were lucky, given the specifics of this missile [...] because all the shrapnel was absorbed by the engine." He went on to accuse Turkey, "Syria's northern neighbour," for deliberately targeting journalists. Roman Kosarev added that Jabhat Al-Nusra and Al Qaeda are said to be operating in the area, where the attack came from.
The two RT journalists were travelling with TASS reporter Alexander Elistratov who was also injured by shrapnel, sustaining wounds to his hand. The seasoned journalists are some of the dozens of reporters to have been either injured or killed since the Syrian conflict began in 2011.
02:12Two RT correspondents who were injured after their press convoy was shelled in Syria's Latakia region, arrived in Moscow early on Thursday morning.
RT's Roman Kosarev sustained a concussion, after a TOW missile hit their convoy near the town of Salma, while RT Arabic's Sargon Hadaya was injured with pieces of shrapnel entering his back and leg.
Both received treatment for their injuries at Russia's Latakia airbase base. "We are glad that we are home finally," Kosarev said.
Hadaya explained the incident, saying "The first rocket hit the hill. Two cars started moving immediately. There was a shooting order. We were third [in the column]. When we turned a guided TOW missile hit the engine. We were lucky, given the specifics of this missile [...] because all the shrapnel was absorbed by the engine." He went on to accuse Turkey, "Syria's northern neighbour," for deliberately targeting journalists. Roman Kosarev added that Jabhat Al-Nusra and Al Qaeda are said to be operating in the area, where the attack came from.
The two RT journalists were travelling with TASS reporter Alexander Elistratov who was also injured by shrapnel, sustaining wounds to his hand. The seasoned journalists are some of the dozens of reporters to have been either injured or killed since the Syrian conflict began in 2011.