Bombers strike Syrian military HQ
Syrian rebels target the
army's headquarters in Damascus with two large bombs and follow up with
an armed assault on the military compound.
26 September 2012
Last updated at 13:21 GMT
Damascus bombers attack Syria military HQ
The BBC's Jim Muir says President Assad would have been able to hear the blasts from his nearby palace
Rebels have targeted Syria's army headquarters with two large bomb blasts in the centre of Damascus.
Military officials said one of the bombs had caused damage to the main building of the General Staff.The rebel Free Syrian Army said it had carried out the attack and claimed dozens had been killed. The army said no personnel had died.
Gunfire reverberated around the city for hours after the bombings, as rebels fought with soldiers at the compound.
Syrian state TV quoted a military source saying no senior personnel were harmed by the explosions, but some of the building's guards were wounded.
It said "terrorist attackers" had opened fire inside the perimeter of the compound and in nearby streets, and security forces had confronted them.
The blasts happened just before 07:00 local time (04:00 GMT) in an area dominated by government buildings.
Diplomats living close to the area said the blasts were the biggest they had heard for months.
Buildings more than 1km (half a mile) away shook violently under the force of the explosions.
Shattered windows
The BBC's Rafid Jabboori in Damascus says the apparent target and timing are very significant.The staff command compound represents the heart of the Syrian army, he says.
And the attack comes days after the Free Syrian Army announced it had moved its command from Turkey to Syria in an apparent attempt to bolster its fight against regime forces.
State television described the blasts, close to one of the city's busiest areas at Umayyad Square, as a terrorist attack.
Roads leading to the area were blocked off as the authorities dealt with the aftermath.
Damascus resident Jean-Pierre Duthion told the BBC that his entire building shook and windows were shattered.
"We all ran into the corridor, in the place without windows or anything, and we were just waiting until it stopped," he said.
Continue reading the main story
By Lyse Doucet inside Syria
'Message of peace'
Assad-supporting village
Amid violent conflict
Business as usual
Reporting from Syria
In other developments
- The pro-opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says pro-government militiamen murdered 16 civilians in their homes in Damascus in the early hours of Wednesday
- Iranian news channel Press TV says one of its reporters, named as Maya Naser, was shot dead by snipers in Damascus, while the bureau chief of Iran's Arabic-language TV channel was wounded
Freelance journalist Phil Goodwin in Damascus said sporadic gunfire could still be heard
On Tuesday, rebels blew up a school building in Damascus that they said was being used for military training.
For much of the past 18 months, rebel groups have been fighting against Mr Assad's regime.
Activists estimate more than 27,000 people have died in the violence, which has erupted in cities across the country.
Repeated efforts by the international community to find a diplomatic solution have foundered because of a deep divide at the UN Security Council.
COPY www.bbc.co.uk/
Nenhum comentário:
Postar um comentário