Children Escape as Mortar Hits French School in Damascus
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A mortar shell hit the French school in the Syrian capital Damascus on Sunday, while classes were in session, but caused no injuries, a school official said.
"A mortar shell landed on the chimney of a classroom around 9:00 am (0700 GMT). No one was hurt but the windows shattered and the walls cracked," Bashir Oneiz said.
School nurse Aline Farah said students were in class when the mortar hit.
"It was a miracle that no one was hurt, neither students nor teachers nor employees," she said.
The Charles de Gaulle school in the upscale central district of Mazzeh is the only foreign school still open in the Syrian capital, AFP reported.
It has some 220 students, down from a pre-war population of 900.
It caters both to Syrian students and the children of a few remaining foreigners living in the country despite a brutal 32-month conflict between the government and rebels.
Rebels in rear bases on the outskirts of Damascus have regularly fired rockets and mortar rounds into the centre of the capital.
But in recent weeks, the attacks have become more frequent and increasingly deadly.
