Wed Jul 16, 2014 20:14:00
Four people have been killed and another 22 wounded by militant mortars fired into central Damascus, just as President Bashar al-Assad was sworn in for a third term, state news agency SANA said.
The mortars came minutes after Assad's inauguration speech ended on Wednesday.
"Four people were killed and 22 others wounded by mortars launched by terrorists against the business district of Shaalan," in the heart of Damascus, said SANA.
Syria's President Bashar al-Assad was sworn in for a new seven-year term, warning Western and Arab governments they will pay dearly for backing those who took up arms against him.
Syria's war has killed more than 170,000 people and forced nearly half the population to flee their homes.
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