"The terrorist explosion in Mazzeh was an attempt to target the prime minister's convoy and Dr. Wael al-Halqi was unharmed," state television reported Monday.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights watchdog reported that a car bomb targeted Halqi's convoy as it passed through the Mazzeh district of Damascus, killing one of his bodyguards.

Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman said Halqi's driver and a second bodyguard were also seriously wounded in the explosion.

Several vehicles were destroyed in the blast, including a bus burned out by the explosion. The windshields of other cars nearby were also blown out.

Mazzeh is an upscale neighborhood in western Damascus, home to a number of senior regime figures.

Halqi was appointed prime minister in August 2012 after his predecessor Riad Hijab defected to the opposition.

Syria has been dealing with an extensive western-backed insurgency since 2011 that has left thousands of people including hundreds of members of security forces dead.
 

Well-armed terrorist groups in Syria are recruiting mercenaries from across the Middle East and Europe to fight against the legitimate government of the country which is supported by a vast majority of people.