Syria Rebuild
A woman pushes a baby cart as she walks past rubble of damaged buildings in Raqqa, Syria (Photo: Reuters / Aboud Hamam)

In a devastating turn of events, a military academy in Syria was targeted in a drone attack, resulting in the death of more than 100 individuals. The assault, which took place in the central province of Homs, is one of the deadliest attacks ever against a Syrian army installation. The incident is also unprecedented in its use of weaponized drones in a nation that has been grappling with civil war for over a decade.

The attack occurred shortly after Syria's defense minister departed from a graduation ceremony at the academy. Both civilians and military personnel were among the casualties. The Syrian defense ministry, in an official statement, attributed the attack to "terrorist" groups utilizing drones. However, no specific organization has claimed responsibility for the act so far.

 

Images from the aftermath of the attack depict a harrowing scene. Individuals, both in military uniforms and civilian attire, lay lifeless in a vast courtyard. Some of the bodies were still smoldering, while others were engulfed in flames. Amidst the chaos and screams, voices could be heard urging others to help extinguish the fires. The background resonated with sporadic gunfire.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has reported that the death toll exceeds 100, with an additional 125 individuals injured. Another source from the alliance supporting the Syrian government against opposition factions confirmed a similar death count.

The Syrian defense and foreign ministries have expressed their intent to retaliate "with full force" in response to the attack. This declaration was followed by intensive bombing raids by Syrian government forces on the opposition-held zone of Idlib.

The defense minister of Syria was present at the graduation ceremony but left mere minutes before the drones struck. A local who had assisted in decorating the academy for the event recounted the horror, stating, "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."

The Syrian conflict, which began as protests against President Bashar al-Assad in 2011, evolved into a full-blown war, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of thousands and the displacement of millions. The Syrian army, severely weakened by the ongoing conflict, has been heavily reliant on military support from allies like Russia and Iran, as well as fighters backed by Tehran from various countries.

While President Assad has regained control over most of Syria, a significant portion in the north, adjacent to Turkey, remains under the control of armed opposition groups, including extremist jihadist factions.