Damascus rocked by suicide blast that kills 8; 2 others foiled
DAMASCUS, Syria — Security forces chased three explosive-laden vehicles through Damascus on Sunday, intercepting two of them at checkpoints but failing to stop the third before it exploded in the city center, killing at least eight people, state media and others reported.
The rare attack in the heart of Syria’s capital unfolded ahead of the morning commute on the first work day after a major Muslim holiday.
The Interior Ministry said security forces tracked all three cars and intercepted two of them at checkpoints on the airport road. The third made it into the city center, where the driver blew himself upnear Tahreer Square.
The Syrian Minister of Local Administration, Hussein Makhlouf, said the response marked a “major success in foiling a plot” to cause mass casualties.
There were conflicting casualty reports.
Syrian state TV reported eight killed and another 12 people wounded in the explosion. The Britainbased Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which tracks the fighting with on-the-ground monitors, reported at least 12 killed. Meanwhile, the Hezbo ll ah linked Lebanon’ s al-Man ar TV, which is close to the Syrian government, people were killed.
Such attacks have been relatively rare in Damascus, the seat of power for President Bashar Assad, who made a series of public appearances last week in a show of increased confidence after more than six years of battling a rebellion.
The attacks come days before Russian-sponsored talks are to resume in the Kazakh capital, Astana, where the two sides agreed earlier this year to a ceasefire that has been repeatedly violated. Russian officials said the talks are expected to discuss the formation of a national reconciliation committee. said 19