BEIRUT- A devastating attack on a Syrian military academy on Thursday has left a grim toll of more than 100 casualties, as reported by a reputable war monitor. While state media has attributed the tragedy to “terrorist organizations,” it is evident that the government-held city of Homs bore witness to a drone strike of catastrophic proportions.
In the heart of Syria’s central city of Homs, the culprits behind the attack targeted “the graduation ceremony for officers of the military academy,” as conveyed by an official army statement published by the state-run news agency SANA. This unfortunate incident resulted in a significant number of casualties.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a distinguished British-based monitor with an extensive network of on-ground sources, has revised the initial toll to “more than 100 dead,” with nearly half of them being military graduates, alongside the tragic loss of 14 civilians. Furthermore, this grievous event has left at least 125 others wounded. No party has claimed responsibility for this horrific act.
The military statement has disclosed that this attack was executed through the use of “explosive-laden drones.” The Syrian military has vowed to respond with utmost force to this heinous act, underlining their commitment to safeguarding the nation.
In response to this tragic event, the Syrian government has declared a three-day mourning period, commencing on Friday, as reported by state television. Simultaneously, in the rebel-held Idlib region, residents have reported extensive and intense bombardment by government forces.
Within this north-western opposition stronghold, the Observatory has documented the loss of four civilians, along with several others sustaining injuries as multiple towns bore the brunt of the assault. Notably, a significant portion of the Idlib region remains under the control of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an organization formerly affiliated with Al Qaeda, which has previously employed drones to target government-held territories.
Meanwhile, in the Kurdish-held northeast of Syria, Turkish airstrikes have resulted in the tragic loss of at least nine lives, as reported by Kurdish forces. These strikes came in response to a recent bomb attack, with Ankara issuing threats of retaliatory raids.
In Hasakeh province, the Turkish airstrikes have claimed the lives of “six members of the internal security” agency, as stated by the Kurdish force’s media center. Tragically, a worker at a site within the province also met an untimely demise. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), acting as the de facto army for the Kurds, confirmed the loss of “two civilians” in a strike targeting a motorcycle. It is noteworthy that Turkey has consistently conducted airstrikes in the semi-autonomous region controlled by Syrian Kurds. Ankara’s resolve for intensified cross-border raids has grown, following the conclusion that the perpetrators of a recent attack in the Turkish capital originated from Syrian territory.
Moreover, two critical power stations in the area have fallen victim to these airstrikes, alongside the vicinity of a dam. Farhad Shami, the spokesperson for the SDF, has affirmed that the strikes targeted both military and civilian sites.
This grim series of events underscores the continued volatility and conflict in Syria, a nation gripped by persistent turmoil and tragedy.
By AFP