A drone attack in the western city of Homs, Syria, has resulted in the deaths of at least 89 people, according to Syria’s health ministry.
The victims included women and children, and the attack targeted a graduation ceremony at a military academy attended by cadets’ families.
A UK-based monitoring group reported a higher death toll of 116 individuals. The Syrian army attributed the attack to “terrorist groups backed by known international forces,” but there was no immediate claim of responsibility from the rebels and jihadists involved in the country’s civil war.
The drone attack is believed to have been launched from opposition-held areas northwest of Homs.
Additionally, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) later reported that government bombardments in the opposition stronghold of Idlib province and Aleppo had killed 11 civilians in several cities, towns, and villages.
Syria’s state news agency, Sana, quoted a statement from the General Command of the Armed Forces, condemning the attack and vowing to respond forcefully to these “terrorist groups” wherever they are found.
The health ministry stated that the strike had injured 277 people, with 31 women and five children among the deceased.
An eyewitness described the aftermath of the attack, mentioning that it occurred in the courtyard after the graduation ceremony, with casualties strewn on the ground.
A graphic video showed numerous victims and their relatives seeking help within a walled parade ground, accompanied by the sound of gunfire in the background.
The UN’s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, characterized the attack on the military academy as “horrific” and called on all parties in the conflict to exercise restraint and adhere to international law to protect civilians and infrastructure.
He expressed concern that without a meaningful political resolution, the situation in Syria would continue to deteriorate.
In a separate development in Syria, at least 10 people were reportedly killed in Turkish drone strikes in a Kurdish-controlled region of northeastern Syria. These strikes were prompted by a bomb attack in Ankara, claimed by Kurdish militants.
Source-BBC
