1st LD: 6 children killed by shelling on kindergarten in rebel-held area near Damascus

At least six children were reportedly killed Sunday, when shells fired by the Syrian government forces slammed a kindergarten in a rebel-held suburb near the capital Damascus, a monitor group reported.

The shells slammed while the children were reportedly playing in the yard of the kindergarten in the rebel-held suburb of Harasta in northeastern Damascus, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The UK-based watchdog group said the death toll could likely rise due to the high number of would children.

The report couldn't be verified independently.

Harasta is one of the key rebel-held areas near Damascus. This area is adjacent to the international road connecting Damascus with central and northern Syria.

The rebels in Harasta have repeatedly fired sniper shots at passenger buses on the international highway, prompting the government to assign a sub-road for passengers to skip passing near Harasta. Endit