SYRIAN OBSERVATORY FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, BBC NEWS (UK), AP
DAMASCUS – A series of bombings in Syria’s capital Thursday has killed at least 31 people, among them children and civilians. A car bomb struck the heavy-populated central Damascus district of Mazraa, near the headquarters of Syria’s ruling Baath party and the Russian Embassy.
I used to walk over this bridge almost every day. Between Mazra’a and Adawi in #Damascus. Aftermath of car bomb. twitter.com/NMSyria/status…
— NMSyria (@NMSyria) 21 février 2013
Syrian state-TV footage of the scene showed at least four lifeless bodies. Reports on casualties include children injured at a nearby school in the residential district of the capital. State media blamed the huge explosion on “terrorists” battling the regime.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors violence in the country, reports that a car bomb exploded near security checkpoints between the Russian Embassy and the headquarters of President Bashar Assad’s party – which comes as Russia and the Arab League have announced they want to broker direct government-opposition talks.
A second blast was reported in Damascus’ northeastern Barzeh neighborhood, a security official told the Associated Press, while eyewitnesses and pro-government TV reported several other potential blasts.
pro govt Adunya TV says 4 explosions rocked #Damascus, ALthwra str,rukneldin, Barze & Sabee Bahrat square, dozens of civilians killed #syria
— Rula Amin (@RulaAmin) 21 février 2013
The violence comes as the opposition Syrian National Coalition is due to begin a two-day meeting in Egypt to discuss a framework for a possible solution to the Syrian war, BBC News reports.
