Israel Matzav

40 killed 100 wounded in Damascus explosions

Two booby-trapped cars exploded in Damascus on Friday morning killing 40 people and wounding 100. The Syrian government is blaming al-Qaeda.

Two booby-trapped cars blew up at security sites in Damascus on Friday, killing a number of civilians and soldiers, state television said, in the worst violence to hit Syria's capital during nine months of unrest against President Bashar Assad.

Syria's Dunia television channel put the number of dead from the blasts at 40 with 100 wounded and said most of the casualties were civilians. Dunia cited information from its own correspondents at the scene.

Syrian television described the attack as a suicide bombing and said initial inquiries indicated al Qaeda was behind it.

The attack came a day after the arrival of Arab League officials to prepare for a monitoring team that will check whether Assad is implementing a plan to end the bloodshed.

State television broadcast footage of bloodied bodies being carried in blankets and stretchers into ambulances and people hunting through rubble of a badly damaged building.

A Reuters cameraman was barred from the site. State television also broadcast shots of bloodied streets littered with mangled human remains and blackened debris.

State television said the blasts targeted a state security administration building and a local security branch.

I have video for you, but it's in Arabic. Let's go to the videotape.

Labels: al-Qaeda, Bashar al-Assad, Damascus, suicide bombing

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 3:03 PM