Drone strikes at Syrian military ceremony kill 67 people and injured 180

Beirut: A Syrian health official says the drone strikes on Thursday at a military graduation ceremony in the central city of Homs have killed 67 people and wounded 180.

Dr. Musalem al-Atassi, the city’s health director, says the strikes hit a packed army ceremony in Homs, as it was wrapping up earlier in the day. He says both civilians and military personnel are among the casualties. Many of the wounded are in critical condition and are being treated in several hospitals in Homs, Syria’s third largest city. In an earlier statement, Syria’s military said that drones laden with explosives targeted the ceremony packed with young officers and their families as it came to an end. They accused insurgents “backed by known international forces” of the attack, without naming any particular group.