DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — The Syrian government and an opposition monitoring group say that at least nine students have been killed and several wounded by a mortar shell that shammed into their school in the northeastern city of Deir el-Zour.

Syrian TV says the shell that hit the Harabesh elementary school for girls in a government-held part of the city on Tuesday was fired by "terrorists" — the term the government uses for all armed groups fighting against President Bashar Assad's forces.

The city of Deir el-Zour is divided between the Islamic State group and Syrian government forces.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported that nine female students were killed and around 20 wounded when mortar shells fired by the IS group hit several parts of the school.