DAMASCUS, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- A suicide bomber exploded himself Tuesday afternoon after his attempt to pass the customs using forged papers was thwarted by security officials in southwest Syria on a main border crossing leading to Lebanon.

Photo taken on Nov. 28, 2006 shows the Jdeidet Yabous crossing, about 40 km west of Damascus. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery >>>

    An official source at the Syrian Interior Ministry confirmed the incident, saying the attack was carried out by a Syrian national named Omar Abdullah at about 1:45 p.m. (1145 GMT) at the Jdeidet Yabous crossing, about 40 km west of Damascus, the official SANA news agency reported.

    The 28-year-old man, with a nickname of Omar Hamra, started to fire at members of the Syrian security forces with a pistol and tried to escape after his identity was discovered, the source said.

    Hamra detonated his explosive belt when he was chased by the security force, killing himself and wounding two guards, the source added.

    The source disclosed that Hamra was the military commander of a Muslim militant organization called al-Tawheed Wal Jihad, or Solidarity and Holy War, which is pursued by Syrian authorities.

    It was reported that several Islamist groups operated under the name of al-Tawheed wal Jihad, which was first used by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, chief of al-Qaida in Iraq, who died in a U.S. air strike earlier this year.

    Nine forged IDs with various names were carried by the slayers and investigation was still underway, the source added.

    Syrian security forces have clashed several times with militant groups, killing dozens and arresting nearly 100 others since last year in an effort to tighten security around the country.

    In June, four gunmen and a guard were killed when Syrian security forces foiled an attack by militants near the premises of state-run television in Damascus.

    In September, Syrian forces also thwarted a terrorist attack against the U.S. embassy in downtown Damascus, killing 3assailants and a fourth later died of his wounds sustained in a shootout.