Germany: Man tried for grenade attack on civilians in Syria

BERLIN (AP) — A man has gone on trial in Germany accused of firing a rocket-propelled grenade into a group of civilians in Syria eight years ago, killing at least seven people. The defendant, identified only as Mouafak Al D. for privacy reasons, appeared before a Berlin regional court on Thursday. He was charged with war crimes, seven counts of murder, three counts of attempted murder and three counts of dangerous bodily harm. Federal prosecutors say the 55-year-old Syrian fired an RPG at people lining up for food aid in the Yarmouk district of Damascus, which is houses many Palestinian refugees. In addition to at least three deaths, the attack in 2014 wounded at least three people, including a 6-year-old child.