UNICEF condemns school shelling near Syrian capital

The United Nations Children' s Fund (UNICEF) on Wednesday condemned a deadly mortar attack on a school outside the capital of Syria as "unacceptable," a UN spokesman told reporters here. "UNICEF has condemned yesterday's shelling of a school near Damascus that killed a number of students and a teacher," said Martin Nesirky, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, at the daily briefing. "UNICEF said that this is unacceptable. Schools are, and must remain, zones of peace," he said. The spokesman quoted UNICEF as saying that since the violence in Syria began, schools have been "looted, vandalized and burned." According to Nesirky, UNICEF has renewed its call for all parties to the conflict in Syria to abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law and to ensure that all children are protected at all times. At least 29 students were killed along with their teacher on Tuesday when a mortar shell struck their school in al-Wafidin camp in the outskirts of Syria's capital Damascus, the state-run SANA news agency said. SANA said the mortar was fired by "terrorists," giving no further details.