ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - At least seven children were killed after an explosive device detonated in southern Syria. Separately, explosions were heard in the capital Damascus. Seven children were killed and two others were severely injured in an explosion in al-Sanamayn city, in Daraa province, according to Syrian state media (SANA). The UK-based war monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said that eight children had been killed. A woman was also severely injured in the blast and was transferred to a hospital in Damascus, according to SANA, which accused “terrorist groups” of planting the bomb. At least 103 people, including 32 civilians, have been killed in 83 separate incidents in Daraa since the start of last year, according to SOHR. Explosions were also heard Saturday afternoon in the vicinity of Damascus and security forces are investigating, state media reported. Syrian forces fired machine guns at "suspicious" objects flying over the southwestern countryside of Damascus and this was followed by the sound of explosions as a result of engineering units of the Syrian army detonating war remnants and bombs, according to SOHR. Last week, the capital was hit by Israeli airstrikes that targeted the consular section of the Iranian embassy, causing significant damage and killing seven members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force (IRGC-QF), including two senior commanders.
