Extremist group claims responsibility for latest deadly bombings in Syrian capital

 • An al-Qaida-inspired group has claimed responsibility for Thursday's twin bombings in Damascus.

 • The group said the attacks came in response to "the regime's ongoing shelling on the residential areas".

 • Two suicide bombers blew themselves up Thursday, leaving destruction and more than 55 people.

DAMASCUS, May 12 (Xinhua) -- An al-Qaida-inspired group calling itself al-Nusra Front to Protect the Levant has claimed responsibility for Thursday's twin suicide bombings in the Syrian capital of Damascus that left 55 people killed and more than 370 others wounded.

In an online video, the group claimed that their attacks came in response to "the regime's ongoing shelling on the residential areas in Damascus' suburbs, Idlib and Hama provinces."

"We have fulfilled our promise," the group said.

The authenticity of the online footage could not be independently checked, but the group has previously claimed responsibilities for bombings in several Syrian areas.

Two suicide bombers blew themselves up Thursday before a security complex in Damascus, leaving destruction and more than 55 people, mostly civilians, killed.

On Friday, the Syrian authorities thwarted a suicide bombing attempt in the northern Aleppo province. Officials said had the operation succeeded, hundreds of people would have been killed.

Many observers have agreed that al-Qaida fighters have infiltrated Syria to exploit the crisis in the unrest-ridden country.

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