Attacked shortly after graduation ceremony at military academy in Homs
Casualties occurred among newly commissioned officers, faculty and staff, and civilians.
The Minister of Defense also attended, causing great damage due to the large crowds.
The military academy in the city of Homs, central Syria, was hit by a drone airstrike on the 5th (local time), killing at least 80 people, including faculty and civilians, and injuring about 240, according to the medical community, state-run SANA news agency, pro-government media, and the Health Minister’s announcement. Foreign media reported this year.
According to AP and Xinhua News Agency, an anonymous medical source in Homs Province said that at least 66 deaths were confirmed immediately after the airstrike. This number was also confirmed and reported by the pro-government broadcaster Siam FM radio.
The Syrian military issued a statement saying that immediately after the graduation ceremony of the military academy that produces officers of the Syrian army, several drones carrying weapons began airstrikes and that there were many casualties among military personnel and civilians, but the exact number was not known. didn’t say
The dead included six children and the injured included many women and children, some of whom were in critical condition, the statement said. Accordingly, the number of deaths is expected to increase further in the future.
This airstrike was a large-scale attack with the highest number of deaths among recent airstrikes or attacks in a state where the civil war has continued for 12 years since 2011.
Health Minister Hassan al-Gabbashi said the dead included both civilians and military personnel and that most of the injured were in critical or critical condition.
Military authorities said that at the time of the attack, there was a lot of damage at the graduation ceremony, as there were many people crowded there, including young graduates of cadets who had been commissioned as new officers and their families.
No rebel group or armed force has yet claimed responsibility for this attack.
Syrian state TV reported that the government announced a three-day national mourning period starting on the 6th.
The Syrian military did not identify the attackers, saying only that they were “armed terrorist groups supported by known international forces.” He then declared that he would take strong and certain retaliation.
Meanwhile, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that the drone attack initially killed about 60 people and injured dozens more, and that the Syrian Minister of Defense was also present at the scene when the airstrike began.
Syria has suffered numerous drone strikes in recent years, mainly when rebels used drones to bomb government agencies and government facilities.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed regret over the airstrikes in Homsu, the casualties they caused, and the retaliatory airstrikes on rebel areas in northwestern Syria, spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.
Secretary-General Guterres condemned all violence and all military attacks on both sides and said a cease-fire should be declared for the whole of Syria.
In addition to this incident, the Syrian government forces and the countries supporting them also frequently used drones to conduct airstrikes on rebel areas. Israel has carried out drone and missile attacks several times this year under the pretext of striking Iranian military facilities in Syria.
The Syrian civil war, which began in 2011, has split the country into two, resulted in numerous casualties, and has resulted in numerous refugees due to constant battles between government forces and various rebel armed groups.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.