A large explosion was set off within the Syrian capital of Damascus, within range of both a government military compound and a hotel used by the UN’s observer mission. Reports from Syrian state TV said that three were injured in the blast, none of whom were UN workers.
The target of the blast has yet to be identified, but more clashes between the Syrian army and rebels within the city have been reported since. Separate attacks were reported in the Qaddam and al-Asali districts, as well as in Mezzah, the home of the prime minister’s office.
According to the state television reports, Wednesday’s blasts originated from a bomb planted nearby a fuel truck in a park lot near the hotel, but other reports listed the cause as an improvised explosive device (IED).
“There was a huge explosion and a fireball, and soldiers were thrown to the ground by the blast,” a military officer told the AFP news agency. Russian journalist journalist Oksana Boyko placed the explosion “at an army garage adjacent to the hotel” while speaking to BBC. Cars within the area of the explosion were charred and blown out, in images released from the scene. UN vehicles were also struck with dust and debris. The Dama Rose area of Damascus hosts a number of key government and military buildings.
A senior member of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), which is recognized as the central rebel force in the country, acknowledged that the blast had been intended to go off during a meeting between army officers and members of the pro-government militia shabiha, who currently control the capital city. The claim, shared with AFP news, has not yet been verified. Syria’s Deputy Foreign Minister Fasial Mekdad visited the blast site, and told reporters on the scene that the bomb was “a criminal act aimed at distorting Syria’s image.”
“Our primary goal is to secure the observer mission team and thank God no one from this mission has been hurt since it arrived in Syria,” he said of the UN monitors who were staying nearby.
