Drone attack on Syria military college kills at least 89 and wounds hundreds more

CNN:

The number of people killed when a drone laden with explosives hit a military a military college graduation ceremony in the western Syrian city of Homs rose to 89 early Friday, with nearly 300 others wounded.

Five children and 31 women were among the dead, Syria’s state-run news agency SANA reported.

No group has claimed responsibility for Thursday’s attack. In an earlier statement, the defense ministry blamed “terrorist organizations supported by well known international parties.”

“There were dozens of wounded soldiers, with critical injuries among the invited families, including women and children, in addition to a number of college students participating in the graduation,” the ministry said in a statement.

The Syrian armed forces said the attack was “unprecedented,” and vowed to respond “with full force and determination, warning that those who planned and executed the attack “will pay dearly.”

The ancient city of Homs, once known as the capital of the Syrian revolution, was the site of intense battles between regime forces and opposition fighters seeking to unseat President Bashar Al Assad in 2012. The city fell to the regime in 2014, when rebels left it after a two-year siege.