June 14th, 2012
10:59 AM ET

State media: Car bomb injures 14 in Damascus

A suicide bomber blew up an explosives-laden car near a revered Shiite shrine in the Syrian capital Thursday, the state news agency said.

The bombing occurred at a parking lot near the holy shrine of Sayyidah Zaynab, which houses the tomb of the Prophet Mohammed's granddaughter, the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency said.

At least 14 people were injured. It was not clear whether the shrine was the bomber's intended target.

State media showed photographs of a large crater and mangled, charred cars in the parking lot.

A YouTube video posted shortly after the explosion showed black smoke billowing from the vicinity of the shrine, which is near two Syrian government security buildings.

Heavy gunfire could be heard coming from area, said the Local Coordination Committees of Syria, which collects reports of casualties and violence.

CNN cannot independently confirm accounts of violence as access to Syria by journalists has been severely limited.

While state-run media blamed "armed terrorists" for the attack in Damascus, the opposition accused government forces of conducting a campaign of raids and arrests against those participating in demonstrations in the capital city.

The arrests in the ethically mixed Damascus neighborhood of Hajar al-Aswad followed a demonstration Wednesday night in the area, the opposition Local Coordination Committees said.

The group reported heavy bombardment again Thursday of several Syrian cities, including Idlib, Aleppo and Homs.

At least 35 people were killed in the violence Thursday, the group said.

The escalating violence prompted the United Nations peacekeeping chief to label the Syrian conflict a civil war. The Syrian government, however, dismissed that claim.

"Any talk about civil war in Syria doesn't reflect the reality," the government said in a statement released through the state news agency.

"Syria is not witnessing a 'civil war' but rather a struggle to uproot the plague of terrorism."

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Filed under: Syria • World
soundoff (11 Responses)
  1. saywhat

    What can one say?
    Open season in Syria too after Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

    June 14, 2012 at 11:25 am | Report abuse |
    • beruber

      Stay the hell out of there U.S.A. you murdered enough peoples in the world already. Syria and Iran are out of bond for you and your pesty friend (Israel). Russia and China warned you not to mingle in those two countries. We are not interested to have our children kill for your terrosit actions around the world. The only reason you ever want to conduct some kind of war is to benefit some big corporation....and big banker you don't give a dame about the people. How many murdered in Irak for the oil and for the jews...Stay in your dame country and try to pay your national dept. People around the world have to lend you money because you are bankrupt. This is the situation you are in right now.
      Beruber

      June 14, 2012 at 4:40 pm | Report abuse |
  2. Mary

    @ bobcat (in a hat)©, 🙂 I was thinking that very same thing this morning. LOL

    June 14, 2012 at 4:13 pm | Report abuse |
    • bobcat (in a hat)©,

      It really kind of makes one brain weary after a while.

      June 14, 2012 at 4:19 pm | Report abuse |
  3. Mary

    @bobcat (in a hat)©, It would take someone with a HUGE imagination to come up with a new twist on the same old subject.
    Very few people like that in the world today. how's your Thursday?

    June 14, 2012 at 4:25 pm | Report abuse |
    • bobcat (in a hat)©,

      My Thursday is going pretty well. I'm jst making it a laid back day. Too hot to do anything outside right now.
      I used to pride myself on having a very vivid imagination, but on this particular subject, my brain has gone into overload mode.

      June 14, 2012 at 4:32 pm | Report abuse |
  4. Mary

    Opps, Gotta go. I'll catch you later. 🙂

    June 14, 2012 at 4:30 pm | Report abuse |
  5. beruber

    Why are your federal administration always have to give lesson to the rest of the world. Why don't you pass you turn this time, before we end up in a third world war. And anyway who is really responsible for the troubles in those arab countries. Brzezinski is back in service with Obama and Kissinger is not far away.. With those two caracters you also have the bankers and the corporations. Take the advise , stay home, and mind your own dam business.
    Beruber

    June 14, 2012 at 4:52 pm | Report abuse |
  6. banasy©

    I know what you mean guys.
    I do hate repeating myself every day on this subject, do I won't comment.
    The people who know me know my stance.

    And I yada yada and long story short – yada yada. 🙂

    June 14, 2012 at 4:58 pm | Report abuse |
  7. bobcat (in a hat)©,

    Well, Surprise, Surprise, Surprise. I see CNN has seen fit to delete my comment criticizing them for the overuse of a story line. It seems like they just pass the story from reporter ? to reporter ? and let them try to put a new spin on a rehashed subject.
    CNN, are you going to go in to full time censorship when a person DARES to criticize you for being lacksidaisical.

    June 14, 2012 at 6:22 pm | Report abuse |
  8. chrissy

    What kinda new spin can one put on this anyway? The next story will most likely be a want ad, goes something like this, we, the Syrian government & Rebels of the Syrian government welcome ALL unwanted citizens from other countries. Weve run out of our own

    June 14, 2012 at 10:31 pm | Report abuse |
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