Damascus (dpa) – A suicide bomber blew himself up Friday, killing at least 25 people and injuring dozens at a traffic intersection in a residential area of Damascus, Syrian state television reported. The blast took place near an elementary school in al-Midan neighborhood, the broadcaster reported, adding that most casualties were civilians. The channel showed people gathering body remains in black plastic bags from the streets, damaged cars and buses. There was also footage of bloodstains on the ground. The independent Syria Politic website reported that Interior Ministry officials and members of the Arab League observer mission had arrived at the scene. The blast comes two weeks after a twin suicide bombing in Damascus that killed 44 people and injured 166. Damascus blamed that blast upon al-Qaeda militants who might have crossed into the country from neighboring Lebanon. But the opposition said the government, led by President Bashar al-Assad, may have planned the attack to try to convince Arab and Western countries that Syria is under “terrorist attack.” The country has been gripped by an uprising against al-Assad since mid-March. The crackdown by government forces on pro-democracy protesters has killed more than 5,000 people, according to UN estimates. Friday's blast come as the head of an Arab observer mission, Sudanese General Mustafa Mohamed al-Dabi, is expected travel to Cairo to take part in Sunday's meeting of the ministerial committee on Syria to discuss the mission's first report. The Arab League observer mission, which arrived in Damascus around two weeks ago, is tasked with overseeing an end to Syria's 10-month crackdown on peaceful protesters. It has been facing increasing local and international criticism for failing to implement the peace plan, which calls on the government to pull soldiers from residential areas, open talks with the opposition, and release all political prisoners. In the early hours of Friday, two people were killed by government forces gunfire in the Damascus suburb of Zabadany and the restive city of Homs, the Local Coordination Committees of Syria reported. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/hdM7X Tags: Damascus, Suicide Bomber Section: Latest News, Syria
