Twin car bombs ripped through a Damascus suburb Wednesday, killing at least 20 people and leaving dozens critically wounded, according to state media and hospital officials. The state news agency, SANA, said two cars packed with explosives detonated at 6:45 Wednesday morning. The blasts went off in the capital's eastern Jaramana suburb, a district that is mostly loyal to President Bashar Assad. The area is populated mostly by Christians and Druse, a minority sect. A series of blasts have struck regime targets in Damascus and elsewhere since last December, raising fears of a rising Islamic militant element among the forces seeking to topple Assad. SANA said dozens of people were critically injured. There were conflicting reports about the death toll, however. Two hospital officials, who asked that their names not be used because they are not authorized to speak to the media, said at least 20 bodies were brought to two nearby hospitals. Activists gave a higher toll, with the Britain-based Observatory for Human Rights saying 29 people were killed. The activist group relies on reports from the ground.
