The Story of Katia and Shams; Two Schoolgirls Killed by Assad Airforce

Katia and Shams, two schoolgirls from the town of Qah in Idlib province, were in Jil Al Hurriya School when Assad’s jet fighters struck it on 27 April, 2014. Shams died right away, while Katia was badly injured in her head and entered into a weeklong coma, after which she died. Doctors said that her brain was dislodged out of her skull. Katia had beautiful eyes and a lovely smile, and her photos can widely be seen on Facebook pages and posters at school art exhibitions. Jil Al Hurriya School is located in a residential area, far away from the battlefronts. The school was started in early 2013 and contained around 500 students, but due to the large number of the displaced people the number rose to 800, divided between primary and preparatory stages.  It has a teaching and administrative staff that consists of 45 employees. Abdel-Rahman Haj, adviser to interim Prime Minister, said that the Assad regime’s systematic targeting of schoolchildren “aims to destroy the future of Syria and to achieve political goals. However, these horrible massacres against childhood and education have always been met with dubious silence, as the world’s response rarely goes beyond condemnation and expressing concern.” Haj also points out that “it seems that the bombing of schools is an essential part of Assad’s election campaign.” (Source: Syrian Coalition)