DAMASCUS, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- A blast rocked a suburb of the Syrian capital Damascus on Thursday overnight, leaving an unknown number of casualties, the state-TV said.
The blast rocked Sa'sa suburb of Damascus, said the report, adding that many people were killed or injured.
The state-media has stopped short of giving further details, but an online news website said that two suicide car bombs ripped through a checkpoint and a branch of military security in that area. It added that the second car was rigged with two tons of explosives.
The twin blasts were followed by hours-long clashes between the army and armed militiamen, the report said.
No party has claimed responsibility for the blast, but previous similar ones had been claimed by the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front.
Meanwhile, an explosive device went off in al-Qaimaria area in the old quarter of Damascus late on Thursday, injuring two people, local media said.
On the opposition side, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said an explosion rocked the Damascus' district of Barzeh late on Thursday, giving on details on human losses.
The Observatory, meanwhile, said that five civilians, including two women, were gunned down in the Damascus' countryside of Tishreen, adding that pro-government gunmen were behind the killing.
Activists also reported heavy shelling on rebel-strongholds in eastern and southern rims of Damascus and elsewhere in the war- engulfed country on Thursday.
|
