DAMASCUS, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- The initial death toll of the blasts that struck Syria's northern Aleppo province earlier Wednesday was estimated at 30, the pan-Arab al-Mayadeen TV said. Another 32 were injured.
Two car bombs went off Wednesday morning at a main square in Syria's northern province of Aleppo, causing an unknown number of injures, the pro-government al-Ekhbaria TV said earlier.
It said both cars blew off at the Sa'ad Allah Al-Jabiri square, giving no further details.
Al-Ekhbaria aired footage of the blast site, showing scenes of destruction and carnage at the square with ravaged buildings and huge piles of debris. Emergency workers were seen working franticly at the site.
Other pro-government media said three blasts were heard rocking the square in Aleppo, adding that the first blast targeted an area hotel while the other targeted the city's municipal palace.
The reports said the third one is probably a mortar shell fired by the armed groups at the square.
Meanwhile, there were reports of a fourth explosion. It was reportedly caused by a booby-trapped car that went off near the Central Bank of Aleppo while it was being dismantled, the pro- government Sham FM said.
The latest chaos comes amid the pitch battles currently underway in Aleppo between the Syrian troops and the armed rebels, who announced last week the commencement of their "decisive" battle to win control over Aleppo, Syria's largest city and commercial hub.
A day earlier, a well-informed source told Xinhua that the Syrian troops received huge reinforcements in Aleppo in order to settle the situation there once and for all. The source said that the city of Aleppo is expected to be cleansed within very few days.
Meanwhile, the pro-government al-Watan daily said Wednesday that the Syrian army has made up its mind and taken the decision to push through Aleppo's eastern districts, which have emerged as strongholds of armed rebels.
The daily said the battle in the eastern districts will be the decisive and last battle, adding that the Syrian troops killed 50 armed men in al-Sukkari district of Aleppo in a qualitative operation there. It said many of those killed were foreign nationals and headed by a Saudi who goes by the nom de guerre " Saudi Harithi."
The paper pointed out that the clashes are still raging for the third straight day at the entrances of the Aleppo's old market, particularly in the surroundings of the Ummayad Mosque.
Ralated:
Syrian crisis to drag on as opposition remains reluctant about dialoguing gov't
DAMASCUS, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian opposition's latest rebuff to the Syrian government's offer to embark on a national dialogue to end the 18-month-long crisis has buoyed convictions that the crisis might be longer than Syrian people's expectation.
The Syrian government is reaching out to the opposition to start a dialogue, and at the same time waving a stick warning that it would never be lenient with those trying to mess with the country's security and stability. Full story
UN Syria envoy to base in Cairo: deputy UN chief
UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- The deputy UN secretary- general, Jan Eliasson, said here Tuesday that the joint UN/Arab League representative for Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, is going to be based in Cairo, Egypt, beginning next week to promote his good offices on the Syrian crisis.
Eliasson made the statement at a press conference here to brief the press on the just-concluded General Debate of the UN General Assembly, which began a week ago. Full story
Syria fighting continues, military receives reinforcement in Aleppo
DAMASCUS, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- The clashes in Syria continued Tuesday between the government troops and the armed opposition fighters amid reports that the army has received reinforcements in the northern province of Aleppo in a bid to settle the situation there.
The state-run SANA news agency said the government troops targeted Tuesday an armed group on the airport highway at al- Ramouseh Bridge in Aleppo, killing all its members. Full story
|
