DAMASCUS: The death toll has risen to 100 in a drone attack on a Syria military college that took place in Homs province of the country early Friday, Al Jazeera reported.
The drone attack took place in Syria’s Homs province during a graduation ceremony resulting in 240 injuries as well. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.
Earlier, the Syrian military said that drones carrying explosives targeted the ceremony on Thursday as it was coming to a close.
The military blamed fighters “backed by known international forces” for the assault in a statement. According to his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “expressed deep concern” about the Homs drone strike and “reports of retaliatory shelling” in northwest Syria.
Health Minister Hassan al-Ghabash said that civilians, including six children, and military personnel were among those killed. The death toll is expected to rise further, according to Al Jazeera.
Syria’s defence minister attended the graduation ceremony but left minutes before the attack.
“After the ceremony, people went down to the courtyard and the explosives hit. We don’t know where it came from, and corpses littered the ground,” said a Syrian man who had helped set up decorations at the ceremony. (ANI)