Rebel mortar fire kills 10 at Damascus central prison

At least 10 people were killed and over 53 others wounded Sunday when mortar shells struck the central prison of the capital Damascus, the Syrian Interior Ministry said.

The shells struck the entrance of the central prison of Damascus in the district of Adra, while visitors were entering the facility, said the report, adding that some prison guards were among the killed people, who are mostly civilians.

Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported the mortar attack against the prison, saying the death toll could likely rise due to the large number of severely injured people.

Separately, the UK-based watchdog group said the Syrian air force carried out 11 air raids since Sunday morning on rebel-held areas in the Eastern Ghouta countryside of Damascus, just a day after at least 20 people were killed by similar attack.

Clashes also continued in the city of Zabadani, west of Damascus and close the Lebanese borders, between the Syrian army backed by the Lebanese Hezbollah and the jihadi groups, said the Observatory, adding that four Hezbollah fighters were killed during the fresh battles.

Battles of control of Zabadani have raged recently amid official reports that the Syrian army and Hezbollah are making strides in the battles there against the rebels. Endit