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Drone Strikes at Syrian Military Ceremony Kill and Wound Dozens

Civilians and military personnel were killed in the attack on the military academy in the central province of Homs
Civilians and military personnel were killed in the attack on the military academy in the central province of Homs
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Drone Strikes at Syrian Military Ceremony Kill and Wound Dozens

Civilians and military personnel were killed in the attack on the military academy in the central province of Homs
Civilians and military personnel were killed in the attack on the military academy in the central province of Homs

At least 100 people were killed on Thursday in an attack on a military academy in Syria, a war monitor and an official said, with weaponized drones bombing the site minutes after Syria's defense minister left a graduation ceremony there.

Civilians and military personnel were killed in the attack on the military academy in the central province of Homs, Syria's defense ministry said in a statement, adding "terrorist" groups had used drones to carry it out.

The statement did not specify an organization and no group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

Syria's defense and foreign ministries vowed in written statements to respond "with full force" to the attack. Syrian government forces have carried out heavy bombing attacks on the opposition-held zone of Idlib throughout the day.

Syria's defense minister attended the graduation ceremony but left minutes before the attack, according to a Syrian security source and a security source in the regional alliance backing the Damascus government against opposition groups.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that more than 100 people were killed and 125 injured.

Many of the wounded are in critical condition and are being treated in several hospitals in Homs, Syria’s third largest city.

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More than 14 Syrian Police Killed in Ambush as Unrest Spreads

Soldiers stop a car at a checkpoint after taking control of the port of Tartous earlier this month (AFP)
Soldiers stop a car at a checkpoint after taking control of the port of Tartous earlier this month (AFP)
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More than 14 Syrian Police Killed in Ambush as Unrest Spreads

Soldiers stop a car at a checkpoint after taking control of the port of Tartous earlier this month (AFP)
Soldiers stop a car at a checkpoint after taking control of the port of Tartous earlier this month (AFP)

More than 14 members of the Syrian police were killed in an "ambush" by forces loyal to the ousted government in the Tartous countryside, the transitional administration said early on Thursday, as demonstrations and an overnight curfew elsewhere marked the most widespread unrest since Bashar al-Assad's removal more than two weeks ago.

Syria's new interior minister said on Telegram that 10 police members were also wounded by what he called "remnants" of the Assad government in Tartous, vowing to crack down on "anyone who dares to undermine Syria's security or endanger the lives of its citizens."

Earlier, Syrian police imposed an overnight curfew in the city of Homs, state media reported, after unrest there linked to demonstrations that residents said were led by members of the minority Alawite and Shi’ite Muslim religious communities.

Reuters could not immediately confirm the demands of the demonstrators nor the degree of disturbance that took place.

Some residents said the demonstrations were linked to pressure and violence in recent days aimed at members of the Alawite minority, a sect long seen as loyal to Assad, who was toppled by opposition factions on Dec. 8.

Spokespeople for Syria’s new ruling administration led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, a former al Qaeda affiliate, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the curfew.

State media said the curfew was being imposed for one night, from 6 pm local time (1500 GMT) until 8 am on Thursday morning.

The country's new leaders have repeatedly vowed to protect minority religious groups, who fear the former rebels now in control could seek to impose a conservative form of Islamist government.

Small demonstrations also took place in other areas on or near Syria’s coast, where most of the country’s Alawite minority live, including in Tartous.

The demonstrations took place around the time an undated video was circulated on social networks showing a fire inside an Alawite shrine in the city of Aleppo, with armed men walking around inside and posing near human bodies.

The interior ministry said on its official Telegram account the video dated back to the rebel offensive on Aleppo in late November and the violence was carried out by unknown groups, adding whoever was circulating the video now appeared to be seeking to incite sectarian strife.

The ministry also said some members of the former regime had attacked interior ministry forces in Syria’s coastal area on Wednesday, leaving a number of dead and wounded.