Syria unrest: Massive suicide car bombs kill 59, wounds 372 in Damascus

  • The blasts took place in the early morning rush hour, when children were going to school.

Two suicide car bombers killed at least 59 people and wounded 372 in Damascus, Syrian officials and state media say.

This comes as the deadliest attacks in the Syrian capital since an uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began 14 months ago.

The blasts happened near a military intelligence building during morning rush hour. State TV showed burnt cars and two deep craters in the road.

The near-simultaneous explosions hit the al-Qazaz district just before 8 a.m. (0500 GMT), residents said. One blast punched a crater three meters (10 feet) deep in the city’s southern ring road.

Bloodied corpses and body parts could be seen on the road.

The Syrian Interior ministry said that the bombers used more than 1,000 kilograms of explosives in their vehicles.

Although no group has claimed responsibility for Thursday’s blasts, the Syrian government and the opposition blamed each other. Both sides are supposed to observe a ceasefire monitored by a UN team.

However violence has continued unabated across the country, with the restive city of Homs shelled again overnight.

The international peace envoy on Syria, Kofi Annan, said the Damascus blasts were “abhorrent” and counter-productive for all parties.

Meanwhile the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said the toll was 59, and included civilians and regime forces.

“The toll has risen to 59 killed and hundreds of injured,” the Britain-based monitor said.

State television aired gruesome footage of the aftermath of the explosions, which rocked Qazzaz district during the morning rush hour, while blaming the attacks on “terrorists.”

1 COMMENT

  1. I know dat any suicider who bombs his self or probably with ppl,his generation,his father’s,entire history of his been,will be flush out forever.Islamist,bomb all ur prophents 1st cos they are d ppl misleading u and sending u to hell where u won’t b rmmbd 4eva.So fools wake up and stop dat ur…