More than a dozen civilians have sustained injuries in a series of mortar attacks carried out by foreign-sponsored militants against residential areas in the Syrian capital, Damascus.
Nine people, including two children, were wounded when mortar shells fired by militants struck al-Sumaria neighborhood on the southern outskirts of Damascus on Saturday, Lebanon’s Arabic-language al-Ahed news website reported.
Separately, militants launched a mortar attack on the city of Harasta, located about 25 kilometers (15 miles) northeast of the capital.
A police source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said a mortar shell fell on a passenger bus as it was driving on a road near the water department building, which lies just outside the city. Five civilians were injured in the act of violence.
Cities and towns across Syria have suffered bomb attacks as well as mortar and rocket fire by militants since the deadly conflict broke out in the Arab country more than four years ago.
The conflict in Syria, which started in March 2011, has reportedly claimed more than 240,000 lives up until now.
The violence has also forced over 3.8 million Syrians to take refuge in neighboring countries, including Jordan and Lebanon. More than 7.2 million others have been displaced within Syria, according to the United Nations.
