2023 Homs drone strike | |
---|---|
Part of the Syrian civil war | |
Location | Homs, Syria |
Date | 5 October 2023 |
Target | Syrian military graduation ceremony |
Attack type | Drone strike |
Deaths | 89 [1] |
Injured | ~277 [2] [1] |
Perpetrators | Unknown |
On 5 October 2023, a Syrian military graduation ceremony at the Homs Military Academy was targeted by a drone strike, leaving at least 89 people dead and more than 277 others injured. [2] [1] The attack followed increased clashes in the 'De-escalation Zone' located in northwestern Syria. The perpetrator of the attack is currently unknown. [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]
The incident occurred just after the afternoon graduation ceremony had ended. The Syrian Ministry of Defense reported 89 graduate soldiers and six children killed. [2] [1] [8] The drones were believed to have originated in rebel-held territories north-west of Homs. [9]
Syrian Defense Minister Ali Mahmoud Abbas was in attendance at the graduation ceremony but left before the attack. [10] He later visited the Abdul-Qader Shaqfa Military Hospital where several of the casualties were brought. [11]
The Syrian Defence Ministry vowed to respond to the attacks “with full force”. [12] Retaliation was set in motion on the same day, in which the Syrian military carried out rocket and artillery strikes on the opposition-controlled zone of Idlib Governorate, killing at least 24 civilians and injuring 37 others. [13] [14] It also shelled rebel-held areas of Idlib and Aleppo Governorates. [15] [16] Meanwhile, Russian airstrikes hit regions in northwestern Hama Governorate. [17]
The areas targeted were controlled by different factions including Ansar al-Tawhid, Hurras al-Din, Tahrir al-Sham and Turkistan Islamic Party. [18]
The Syrian government announced three days of mourning starting on 6 October. [2] The Syrian Foreign Ministry condemned the attack on the academy as a "cowardly terrorist attack" perpetrated by U.S.-backed "terrorist groups" to destabilize the situation in Syria. [19]
The Arab League, [20] released a statement condemning the attack. Argentina, [21] Algeria, [22] Armenia, [23] Belarus, [24] Brazil, [25] Egypt, [26] India, Iran, [27] Iraq, [28] Jordan, [29] Lebanon, [30] North Korea, [31] Oman, [32] Palestine, [33] Romania, [34] Russia, [35] Sudan, [36] the United Arab Emirates [37] and Venezuela [38] expressed their condolences to the Syrian government, according to the state news agency SANA. [39]
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres was "deeply concerned" about developments in Syria, according to his spokesman Stéphane Dujarric. [40] Geir Pedersen, the United Nations' special envoy to Syria, called the attack "horrific" and called on all parties to the conflict to "exercise the utmost restraint". [9] The Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, Nabih Berri, also offered his condolences to President Bashar al-Assad. [41]
2023 Homs drone strike | |
---|---|
Part of the Syrian civil war | |
Location | Homs, Syria |
Date | 5 October 2023 |
Target | Syrian military graduation ceremony |
Attack type | Drone strike |
Deaths | 89 [1] |
Injured | ~277 [2] [1] |
Perpetrators | Unknown |
On 5 October 2023, a Syrian military graduation ceremony at the Homs Military Academy was targeted by a drone strike, leaving at least 89 people dead and more than 277 others injured. [2] [1] The attack followed increased clashes in the 'De-escalation Zone' located in northwestern Syria. The perpetrator of the attack is currently unknown. [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]
The incident occurred just after the afternoon graduation ceremony had ended. The Syrian Ministry of Defense reported 89 graduate soldiers and six children killed. [2] [1] [8] The drones were believed to have originated in rebel-held territories north-west of Homs. [9]
Syrian Defense Minister Ali Mahmoud Abbas was in attendance at the graduation ceremony but left before the attack. [10] He later visited the Abdul-Qader Shaqfa Military Hospital where several of the casualties were brought. [11]
The Syrian Defence Ministry vowed to respond to the attacks “with full force”. [12] Retaliation was set in motion on the same day, in which the Syrian military carried out rocket and artillery strikes on the opposition-controlled zone of Idlib Governorate, killing at least 24 civilians and injuring 37 others. [13] [14] It also shelled rebel-held areas of Idlib and Aleppo Governorates. [15] [16] Meanwhile, Russian airstrikes hit regions in northwestern Hama Governorate. [17]
The areas targeted were controlled by different factions including Ansar al-Tawhid, Hurras al-Din, Tahrir al-Sham and Turkistan Islamic Party. [18]
The Syrian government announced three days of mourning starting on 6 October. [2] The Syrian Foreign Ministry condemned the attack on the academy as a "cowardly terrorist attack" perpetrated by U.S.-backed "terrorist groups" to destabilize the situation in Syria. [19]
The Arab League, [20] released a statement condemning the attack. Argentina, [21] Algeria, [22] Armenia, [23] Belarus, [24] Brazil, [25] Egypt, [26] India, Iran, [27] Iraq, [28] Jordan, [29] Lebanon, [30] North Korea, [31] Oman, [32] Palestine, [33] Romania, [34] Russia, [35] Sudan, [36] the United Arab Emirates [37] and Venezuela [38] expressed their condolences to the Syrian government, according to the state news agency SANA. [39]
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres was "deeply concerned" about developments in Syria, according to his spokesman Stéphane Dujarric. [40] Geir Pedersen, the United Nations' special envoy to Syria, called the attack "horrific" and called on all parties to the conflict to "exercise the utmost restraint". [9] The Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, Nabih Berri, also offered his condolences to President Bashar al-Assad. [41]