Mosque blast toll worsens

THE toll from a car bomb explosion at a mosque in Suq Wadi Barada near Damascus has soared to at least 40, including seven children, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The Syrian Government and the opposition exchanged blame for the carnage in the town.

Suq Wadi Barada is under rebel control and ringed by troops loyal to the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

‘‘The toll from a car bomb explosion that detonated after Friday prayers in Suq Wadi Barada has risen to 40, including seven children and a woman,’’ said the London-based Observatory.

‘‘The number of dead is likely to rise because there are dozens of wounded, most of them in a critical condition.’’