Damascus bomb points to ominous deterioration in Syria
Syrian mourners carry a coffin during the mass funeral of 44 people killed in twin suicide bombings which targeted intelligence agency compounds at the Omayyad Mosque in Damascus on December 24, 2011.
A bomb blast in central Damascus has killed and wounded dozens. Syrian state TV swiftly blamed the attack on “terrorists,” while activists accused the regime of orchestrating attacks to discredit protests as the conflict intensifies.
The explosion reportedly targeted a police bus in the Syrian capital’s Midan quarter – where anti-government sentiment runs high – killing as many as 25, AP says:
Television showed residents and paramedics carrying human remains, holding them up for the camera. Other footage showed a bus with blood on its seats, and cars with blown-out windows and riddled with shrapnel.
Just two weeks ago, twin blasts rocked the state security directorate and the general intelligence building in Damascus, killing 40.
The rebel Free Syria Army, active primarily the city of Homs, denied responsibility for the Dec. 23 bombings.
The attacks in Damascus, which for the most part has been shielded from the violence of the 10-month uprising, highlight the growing sinister nature of the crisis in Syria.
An Arab League observer mission dispatched last month failed to end the bloodshed.
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