Rebels claim 150 military casualties in large Damascus blast

A large blast rocked an area near a military compound in Damascus Wednesday morning. There were claims of massive casualties.

The bomb reportedly went off near a hotel housing UN observers and in close proximity to military headquarters.

Free Syrian Army sources claimed some 150 people were hurt in the blast, which occurred during a meeting of military officials, while state TV said there were only three injuries.

A few hours after the bombing, Sky News reported that at least 21 explosions were heard across Damascus.

The Syrian army’s headquarters collapsed as a result of the explosion and 150 people were buried in the ruins, Lieutenant Abu al-Nour of the opposition told Al Arabiya. He said the attack was carried out with eight improvised bombs.

Maher Nuwaimi, of the Free Syrian Army command in Syria, told AFP that his organization “targeted a military command office with explosives.”

Al-Nour said the target was a daily meeting of lieutenants, and the explosion was intensified by weapons stored in the building by the regime. No one was seen leaving the building after its collapse, he added.

But reporters said ambulances called to the scene returned empty and it seemed to be a failed attack.

Syrian state TV said the bomb — which was attached to a gas canister — exploded near the Dama Rose hotel, in which the international delegation of UN observers was staying, and three people were injured. None of them were believed to be UN staff.

Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad toured the area of the blast and said none of the UN staff were hurt. The explosion occurred as UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos was in the Syrian capital, but her team was believed to be staying at a different hotel.

An AP reporter at the scene said the blast went off inside the parking lot belonging to a military compound near hotel.

The hotel was slightly damaged in the blast, with some of its windows shattered. A Labor Union building across from the hotel was also damaged and black smoke was seen billowing into the sky.

Damascus has been hit by a wave of explosions in the past months and clashes between government troops and rebels have also recently reached the capital, which had been relatively quiet since an uprising against President Bashar Assad’s regime started in March last year.

Activists say more than 20,000 people have been killed since then and the conflict has morphed into a all-out civil war.

“Those who carry out such terrorist attacks are destroying their country in order to get some pounds,” shouted Ali Mohammed Ismail, 48, who said he was in the area when the explosion occurred.