HOMS, Syria — An orchestrated drone strike on a military college in Homs, central Syria, left at least 80 people dead, including civilians, on Thursday. The attack occurred right after an officer graduation ceremony, highlighting the vulnerability of such significant military events.
A wounded person is helped after the drone attack in Homs.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has reported even higher casualties, but government officials and other local sources have confirmed the death toll to stand at 80 as of the latest updates. The Health Minister of Syria, Hasan Al-Ghabash, conveyed to Syrian TV that an “initial, non-final count puts the martyrs of the terrorist assault on the military college in Homs at 80, including 6 women and 6 children, with approximately 240 injuries reported.”
مقطع مصور جديد يظهر العدد الكبير الذي سقط بين قتيل وجريح في الكلية الحربية. pic.twitter.com/R8J9X4jIOp
— Akkad Aljbal (@aljbalakad93) October 5, 2023
مقطع فيديو متداول يظهر اللحظات الأولى من استهداف الكلية الحربية في مدينة #حمص من قبل طائرة مسيرة مجهولة المصدر. pic.twitter.com/dugzf47Gkc
— Akkad Aljbal (@aljbalakad93) October 5, 2023
The Syrian Defense Ministry has issued a statement strongly condemning the attack, describing it as an “unprecedented cowardly terrorist act” and pointing fingers at internationally backed armed terrorist organizations for the heinous act. The ministry further added that the drones carried explosive ammunition, targeting civilians, including women and children, who were present to celebrate the graduation of officers.
The Defense Ministry vowed a robust response against these terrorist organizations, stating, “The General Command of the Army and Armed Forces views this terrorist act as unprecedentedly criminal and affirms that it will respond with all its might and firmness wherever these terrorist organizations are found. There will be severe consequences for those who plotted and executed this criminal act.”
While the identities of the officers who were killed in the attack have not been disclosed, local sources earlier mentioned that ambulances were rushed to transfer the injured from the military college to the military hospital in Homs after the drone strike during the graduation ceremony.
This incident underscores the escalating tension in the region and showcases the rising threat of technologically advanced means, such as drones, in modern warfare.
