The BBC reported on the 5th (local time) that a drone bomb occurred at a graduation ceremony at a Syrian military school, killing at least 100 people.
According to the BBC, at least 100 people were killed and more than 200 injured in a drone bomb attack targeting a graduation ceremony held at the Military Academy in the western city of Homs this afternoon.
Health Minister Hassan al-Gabbashi said, “At least 100 people were killed and more than 200 injured in this drone bombing.” He added, “The dead included six women and six children.”
This drone attack is the deadliest attack targeting Syrian government forces in the civil war that has lasted over 12 years.
Syrian state news agency Sanaa reported that several drones loaded with explosives attacked the Homs Military Academy shortly after the graduation ceremony.
The Syrian government said immediately after the incident, “We regard this act as an unprecedented criminal act and will respond with full force and determination to terrorist groups, wherever they are.”
After receiving a drone attack, Syrian government forces launched retaliatory shelling on rebel-held villages in Idlib Province and elsewhere.
The group claiming to be behind this attack has not yet been identified. However, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the largest rebel faction linked to the Islamic extremist militant group Al-Qaeda, has carried out drone attacks on government forces in the past.
Without naming a specific group, the Syrian army said, “It was the work of rebels who received support from international armed forces,” and added, “We will retaliate resolutely wherever these terrorist groups are located.”
Meanwhile, the Syrian civil war began in March 2011 with anti-government protests demanding the ouster of dictator President Bashar al-Assad, and escalated into sectarian conflict between Sunni and Shia, intervention by the international community including neighboring Arab countries and the West, and proxy wars between the United States and Russia. It has been going on for over 10 years.
Source: Donga