Overnight mortar attack kills 4 in Syrian capital
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E-mail Xinhua, April 3, 2013
An overnight mortar attack against a suburb of the Syrian capital of Damascus killed four people and injured 11 others, pro-government Sama TV reported.
The shells slammed the eastern suburb of Jaramana, the report said, giving no further details.
Jaramana, a suburb largely dominated by Christians and Druze, has witnessed several previous mortar attacks and explosions that resulted in the killing of tens of people.
Earlier in the day, another four people, including two kids, were killed when armed groups fired a mortar shell that landed at their house in the Mukailabieh town near Damascus, the state-run TV reported.
However, activists' groups waved off the state media's account, saying the victims were killed during an overnight shelling on the town.
Also in Damascus Tuesday, three mortar shells landed at al- Fayha 'a orchards in central Damascus, leaving injuries along with material damages, according to pro-government media.
Mortar attacks have become daily occurrences recently, as rebels increasingly resort to such attacks against government institutions. Yet, those mortars seldom reached their targets and instead landed on residential buildings, causing casualties and spreading panic.
Syria blames "terrorists" for the strikes that are relatively new in the capital, which seems still far from being plagued by violence that hits other parts of the country. In return, opposition activists said the government tries to play the Damascenes against the rebels.
