Syria says player for national youth soccer team has died in mortar attack on Homs

DAMASCUS, Syria – The Syrian soccer association says a national youth team player has been killed in a mortar attack in the central city of Homs.

SFA president Salah Ramadan says 15-year-old Tarek Ghrair died Tuesday when a mortar exploded near his home in Ghouta, a western district of Homs where the city's main stadium is located, according to the SANA state news agency.

It was not clear if Ghrair was specifically targeted. Rebels fighting to oust President Bashar Assad from power have frequently fired mortars into Syria's cities under government control, including in the capital, Damascus.

Homs is Syria's third largest city and has seen some of the worst fighting in the three-year conflict.