Syrian soldiers killed in Damascus suicide bombing

Attack by rebel forces on checkpoint in pro-government suburb of Jaramana kills at least 16 regime soldiers, reports say

theguardian.com, Saturday 19 October 2013


"At least 16 Syrian soldiers have been killed in a suicide bombing at a checkpoint in Damascus, activists have said.
The blast came during an attack by rebel forces near the pro-government suburb of Jaramana, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
The state news agency Sana blamed "terrorists" for the explosion but did not give details of the number of casualties.
Rebels control much of the countryside around Damascus but Jaramana, a Christian and Druse area, is mostly loyal to President Bashar al-Assad. Opposition fighters have previously targeted the suburb with bombings and mortar rounds.
At least 100,000 Syrians have been killed in the country's civil war, now in its third year."