Mortar shell kills 5 family members near Syrian capital

Five members of a Syrian family have been killed in a mortar attack by foreign-sponsored militants on a district near Syria’s capital of Damascus.

The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported that the family fell victim to mortar fire on Saturday in the Mazaya district near Damascus.

The report said clashes also erupted between the Syrian army backed by fighters of the Lebanese resistance movement, Hezbollah, and the terrorists in Mazaya.

Meanwhile, four civilians were injured in a similar attack on the Jaramana district, about 10 kilometers (six miles) southeast of Damascus.

Several civilians, including a child, were also wounded in another mortal shell attack by the militants on the village of Zaafaraniyah in Homs Province.

Syria has been dealing with massive foreign-sponsored militancy for the past four years. The conflict has reportedly killed an estimated 230,000 people so far, including nearly 11,500 children.