Security officials in Syria say the death toll from recent mortar attacks by allegedly by Syrian rebels on residential areas in the country’s capital city of Damascus has climbed to eleven.
A police source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said 10 people, among them three children and a woman, lost their lives when a number of mortar shells struck al-Thawra street in the al-Mazraa district of central Damascus on Saturday, Syria’s official SANA news agency reported.
The source added that the projectiles also left 40 people wounded. Some of the injured are reportedly in critical condition.
Separately, a civilian was killed and five others were injured by mortar shells in the central Abaseen square of the capital.
Also on Saturday, nine people, including two children, were wounded when mortar shells struck al-Sumaria neighborhood on the southern outskirts of Damascus.
A mortar shell fell on a passenger bus as it was travelling outside the city of Harasta, located about 25 kilometers (15 miles) northeast of the capital. Five civilians were injured.
Cities and towns across Syria have suffered bomb attacks as well as mortar and rocket fire 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.
Editor's note: This article has been edited from the source material
