Missiles Pound Syria’s Aleppo University, 83 Killed Over 150 Wounded

Syrian Govt, Rebels Trade Blame for Attack

A series of missile strikes pounded the area near Aleppo University’s dorms today, causing massive damage and huge casualties. Death tolls have risen throughout the day, and at least 83 are confirmed killed with over 150 others wounded.

The blasts came on the first day of student exams at the university, in a government-held portion of the contested northern city, and initial reports were that the missiles were a failed attempt by rebels to attack government warplanes overhead.

Rebels later contested this account, insisting that the regime had attacked their own university but providing no information for why that might have been the case.

With no independent reporters on the ground, it is impossible to tell who is responsible for such attacks, but it seems unlikely that the Syrian government would attack the university, though the size of the explosions also makes stray surface-to-air missiles unlikely.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.