Region | Syria
Car bomb kills 17 near Syrian security complex
Syrian anti-terrorist officers hunt for the perpetrators of a car bombing that killed 17 people in Damascus.
- By Sami Moubayed, Correspondent
- Published: 00:18 September 28, 2008
- Image Credit: AP
- A car packed with 200kg of explosives blew up on Mahlak Street, killing more than a dozen people.
Damascus: Syrian anti-terrorist officers on Sunday hunted for the perpetrators of a car bombing that killed 17 people and wounded 14 others in Damascus.
The bombing on Saturday near a Shiite shrine drew condemnation from around the world and prompted the United States to temporarily close the consular section of its embassy in Damascus.
"This is a cowardly terrorist attack," Syrian Interior Minister Bassam Abdul Majid told Gulf News.
State television said a car rigged with 200kg of explosives blew up during morning rush-hour in the busy neighbourhood of Sayeda Zeinab.
"A counter-terrorist unit is trying to track down the perpetrators," the Interior Minister said.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice described the bombing as "concerning."
Syria, usually known for its iron-fisted security, has witnessed some cracks in its apparatus, especially after the car bomb assassination of Emad Moughniyah, military commander of the Lebanese Islamist group Hezbollah, in February.
Speculation was rife in the Arab and international media, some claiming that it targeted a nearby intelligence complex, others claiming it was aimed at the Shiite shrine, visited daily by worshippers from Iraq, Lebanon and Iran.
While the site was immediately sealed off, Gulf News spoke with people near the scene.
"I saw a thick cloud of smoke rising into the air, followed by many ambulances rushing towards the scene," said Ziad, a local cabdriver.
No group claimed responsibility for the bombing on the road to the city's main airport.
With inputs from agencies
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