| Homs school bombing | |
|---|---|
  The attacker detonated anIED in front of the school (left), then blew himself up at the gate of another school (right) | |
 Interactive map of Homs school bombing | |
| Location | 34°42′40″N36°42′51″E / 34.71111°N 36.71417°E /34.71111; 36.71417 Akrama al-Makhzumi,Homs, Syria |
| Date | 1 October 2014 (2014-10-01) ~12:00 (UTC+02:00) |
| Target | Akrama al-Makhzumi elementary school |
Attack type | IED,suicide bomber |
| Deaths | 54 |
| Motive | Sectarian |
TheHoms school bombing occurred on 1 October 2014 inHoms, Syria in anAlawite majority neighborhood during theSyrian civil war.[1][2] The attacker initially detonated anIED that was in front of the Akrama al-Makhzumi Al-Muhdathaelementary school.[a] Then heblew himself up at another gate of a nearby school, Akrama al-Makhzumi.[5][6] The double bombing killed 54 people: 47 children, 3 members of security forces and 4 adultcivilians.[1][5] The attack was the deadliest strike to occur in a government controlled area in over a year, with no group immediately taking responsibility.[2]
Following the bombing, several protests broke out because of the government's failure to prevent the attack. Although most protestors were reportedly pro-government, many called for the removal of Talal Al-Barazi who was the provincial governor for theHoms Governorate. Talal was never removed from office. Protests never turned to be anti-government.[7]
TheSyrian Foreign Ministry sent letters to theUnited Nations andSecurity Council, in which they accused the so-called "moderate armed opposition" of planning and executing the attacks.[8] However, the members of the Security Council, Secretary-GeneralBan Ki-moon and Special RepresentativeLeila Zerrougui all condemned the attack against civilians including children.[9]
In addition, the BritishMinister for the Middle EastTobias Ellwood mentioned: "I condemn recent attacks in Syria targeting civilians. These have included the bombing of a school in Homs, the continued use of indiscriminatebarrel bombs by the Assad regime in Aleppo province, and thesiege around Kobane. Such attacks underline the dreadful toll that the conflict continues to take on the Syrian people and we call on all parties to end the deliberate targeting of civilians. The UK will continue to press for those responsible for such attacks to be held accountable and to press for a political solution to bring to an end the suffering of the Syrian people."[10]
According to local security sources, eleven suspects were apprehended inTalkalakh District on the border with Lebanon who were related toJund al-Sham, a group linked to theAbdullah Azzam Brigades.[11]
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