Blasts in Syrian capital kill 27

DAMASCUS - A total of 27 people were killed and nearly 100 wounded in two suicide bombings targeting security headquarters in the Syrian capital of Damascus on Saturday, Syrian Minister of Health Wael al-Halki said on state TV.

Syrian security officials inspect the site of an explosion in Damascus in this handout photo distributed by the Syrian News Agency (SANA) March 17, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

The first blast took place at al-Jamarek roundabout and targeted the Criminal Security Department, and the second one hit the al-Tahrir square connecting the Baghdad street with al-Qassaa neighborhood and targeted the Air Intelligence Directorate.

Xinhua cameraman at the site said that while rescue workers were trying to evacuate the wounded and clean the debris near the Air Intelligence Directorate, a series of shootings took place, and some law-enforcement members were wounded. It was not clear who was shooting.

The state-TV aired live footages of the blast on the Tahrir square, showing scorched buildings and shattered windows from buildings, which are located at a distance of 100 meters from the blast site.

Outside the air intelligence building, mutilated and torn bodies lay amid rubble, twisted debris and burned cars. Bystanders and ambulance workers used blankets and stretchers to carry blood- stained bodies into vehicles. The blast left a two meters deep crater.

Later in the day, unnamed sources told Xinhua that a third explosion had hit the Palestinian camp of Yarmouk just outside Damascus. According to the source, the attack was in the 30 street in the camp of Yarmouk, and happened almost at the same time as the previous two.

There is no official account on the third blast.

Syrian security officials survey the site of an explosion at a police building in Damascus March 17, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]