Damascus The opposition Syrian National Council accused President Bashar Al Assad's regime of being behind two powerful blasts that struck Damascus Thursday, killing 55 people, wounding nearly 400 and prompting the UN observer chief to appeal for help to end the bloodshed ravaging Syria.
"The regime is behind this," the exile group's Samir Nashar said, adding the aim was to warn UN observers they were in danger and to impress upon the international community that the regime was battling "terrorists".
"This is the only way for the regime to claim that what is happening in Syria is the work of terrorist gangs and that Al Qaida is expanding its presence in Syria," said Nashar. Gruesome footage of the aftermath of the explosions, which rocked Qazaz district during the morning rush hour, was aired on state television, which blamed the near simultaneous attacks on "terrorists".
Both civilians and security forces members were among the casualties, the Britain-based watchdog said, adding at least one of the blasts was caused by a car bomb.
"Two explosions caused by terrorists took place on the freeway in the south of Damascus," state television said, adding the blasts occurred "as people were heading to work and children to school".
The blasts took place near a nine-storey security building, the facade of which was destroyed along with several surrounding residential complexes, an AFP correspondent reported.
Mangled bodies
Television showed images of a woman's charred hand on a steering wheel, her gold bracelets dangling from her wrist.
Other burnt and mangled bodies lay in the street amid the carcasses of smouldering vehicles.
Major General Robert Mood, chief of a UN observer mission who visited the site of the explosions, appealed for help to stop the bloodshed.
"This is yet another example of the suffering brought upon the people of Syria. We, the world community, are here with the Syrian people and I call on everyone within and outside Syria to help stop this violence," he said.
The attacks came a day after the Norwegian general escaped unharmed when a roadside bomb exploded as he led a team of UN observers into the flashpoint southern city of Daraa. Ten Syrian soldiers escorting them were hurt.
