Drone attack
78 dead after attack on military academy in Syria
Graduates of a military academy in Syria celebrate their graduation when a drone attacks. Dozens of people are killed. The Syrian leadership wants to react with the utmost severity. But against whom?
The Syrian army had previously said that “armed terrorist organizations” had attacked the graduation ceremony of military college officer students. The army wants to react “with the utmost severity” to the “cowardly act of terrorism”.
Was it IS or the HTS militia?
The Syrian Observatory suspected that it could be an attack by either the militant Islamist militia Haiat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) or the terrorist group Islamic State (IS). Both want to overthrow the government of President Bashar al-Assad. This now controls two thirds of the country again, including the province of Homs.
The conflict in Syria began in spring 2011 with protests against the government. The government took violent action against it. This later developed into a civil war with international involvement. There is no political solution to the conflict in sight.