Thu Jun 27, 2013 18:17:26
At least four people have been killed in a bomb explosion near a church in the central neighborhood of Bab Touma, a famous Christian quarter of the Syrian capital Damascus’ Old City.
According to al-Alam correspondent in Damascus, more than eight people were wounded in the Thursday bombing.
The bomb went off near an ancient church on the Old City's famous Straight Street and a luxury restaurant.
News outlets loyal to the militants fighting against Syrian forces said the blast was caused by a mortar bomb.
The unrest in Syria erupted over two years ago and many people, including large numbers of Syrian soldiers and security personnel, have been killed in the violence.
Damascus says the chaos is being orchestrated from outside the country, and there are reports that a very large number of the militants fighting in Syria are foreign nationals.
In an interview broadcast on Turkish television in April, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said that if the militants take power in Syria, they could destabilize the entire Middle East region for decades.
string(1189) "[{"id":"1488245","sort":"3042323","contenttypeid":"21","pic":"/2013/06/26/alalam_635078772656112870_25f_4x3.mp4","title":"Rebels brutally behead two Christians in Syria"} ,{"id":"1488274","sort":"3042324","contenttypeid":"21","pic":"/2013/06/26/alalam_635078759351502870_25f_4x3.mp4","title":"Several foreign militants killed in Syria's Barzeh"} ,{"id":"1488370","sort":"3042325","contenttypeid":"21","pic":"/2013/06/27/alalam_635079195547819853_25f_4x3.jpg","title":"CIA starts arming militants in Syria"} ,{"id":"1488371","sort":"3042326","contenttypeid":"21","pic":"/2013/06/27/alalam_635079208868873540_25f_4x3.jpg","title":"Russia tells US to clarify its Syria policy"} ,{"id":"1488432","sort":"3042327","contenttypeid":"21","pic":"/2013/06/27/alalam_635079326884208836_25f_4x3.jpg","title":"'Al-Nusra leader in Syria is a CIA operative'"} ,{"id":"1488462","sort":"3042328","contenttypeid":"21","pic":"/2013/06/27/alalam_635079398711940512_25f_4x3.jpg","title":"Iran rejects Riyadh claims on interfering in Syria"} ,{"id":"1488501","sort":"3042329","contenttypeid":"21","pic":"/2013/06/27/alalam_635079474252508101_25f_4x3.jpg","title":"Merkel warns against arming Syria militants"} ]"