Russia casts 13th veto of U.N. Security Council action during Syrian war

Russia cast its 13th veto on Thursday of U.N. Security Council action on the Syrian conflict, blocking a demand for a truce in northwest Syria because it does not include an exemption for military offensives against U.N. blacklisted militant groups.

China backed Russia by also blocking the text, drafted by Kuwait, Belgium and Germany. It was Beijing's seventh veto on the Syrian conflict. Equatorial Guinea abstained and the remaining 12 members of the council voted in favor.

Western states have accused Russian and Syrian forces of targeting civilians, a charge they deny. They say they are targeting militants including the Nusra Front, a jihadist group known today as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which was linked to al Qaeda and controls much of northwest Syria.

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