DAMASCUS — Syria’s state-run media says mortar fire has exploded near the Damascus Opera House, killing two people.
SANA also said that other mortar shells hit nearby areas on Sunday morning.
Syrian rebels seeking to overthrow President Bashar Assad often fire mortar shells into the heart of Damascus from strongholds in outlying communities, but the fire has been more intense in recent weeks. The heavier mortar fire is likely to be a response to pro-Assad forces advancing in rebel held areas around the capital and on the Lebanese border.
On Saturday, mortar fire injured 22 people in Damascus.
The Opera House, officially called the Assad House for Culture and Arts, hosted a defiant speech by the embattled leader last year in which he vowed to keep fighting.
Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition
by email and never miss our top stories
By signing up, you agree to the
terms
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
