CNN –
Drones loaded with explosives struck a graduation ceremony at a military college in Syria’s western city of Homs on Wednesday, causing dozens of deaths, the Syrian Defense Ministry said in a statement.
“Among the invited families, including women and children, were dozens of wounded soldiers with life-threatening injuries, as well as a number of college students who attended the graduation ceremony,” the statement said, adding that the drones arrived immediately after the end of the ceremony ceremony.
The Defense Ministry blamed “terrorist organizations supported by well-known international parties.” No group has yet taken responsibility.
Syrian forces said the attack was “unprecedented” and vowed to respond “with all force and determination,” warning that those who planned and carried out the attack will “pay dearly for it.”
The ancient city of Homs, once known as the capital of the Syrian revolution, was the scene of fierce fighting in 2012 between regime forces and opposition fighters seeking to depose President Bashar Al Assad. The city fell to the regime in 2014 when rebels withdrew from it after a two-year regime siege.
The city is located in the agricultural heartland of central Syria and has long been a transport and trade hub of crucial strategic importance.
The road through Homs connects the capital Damascus in the south with Syria’s largest city, Aleppo, in the north.