Mortars land near Syrian presidential palace as rocket attack kills 20 in Aleppo

A Syrian official says two mortars have exploded near one of President Bashar Assad's palaces in the capital Damascus.           

The official said the rounds struck Tuesday near the southern wall of the Tishreen palace, in the capital's northwestern Muhajireen district, but caused only material damages.           

No casualties were reported and it was unclear whether Assad was in the palace. He has two others in the city.           

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media.

Earlier on Tuesday, a Syrian army rocket attack on a rebel-held district in the city of Aleppo killed at least 20 people and left another 25 missing, opposition activists said.

"The rocket brought down three adjacent buildings in Jabal Badro district. The bodies are being dug up gradually. Some, including children, have died in hospitals," Mohammad Nour said by phone from Aleppo.   

He said testimony from survivors indicated that another 25 people were still under the rubble.

On the other hand, two Russian planes were sent by the Emergencies Ministry to carry humanitarian aid for Syria took off on Tuesday from Moscow heading to the city of Latakia. The planes may transport Russians seeking to leave the country, according to the ministry.          

A ministry spokesperson told Russian news agencies that the planes,The Ilyushin-62 and Ilyushin-76, were carrying 46 tons of humanitarian aid and would be ready to evacuate any Russian nationals wanting to leave Syria.

However, a senior Russian diplomat said that referring the suspected Syrian war criminals to the International Criminal Court now would be "counter-productive".    

On another note, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov announced on Tuesday that the Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem will be visiting Moscow on the 25th of February.

REUTERS/LBCI/AP