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| Bomb explosion rocks Damascus UN hotel, Syria's state TV reports | |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| A bomb attached to a fuel truck has exploded outside a Damascus hotel where UN observers were staying in the Syrian capital, wounding at least three people, Syria's state TV reported. | A bomb attached to a fuel truck has exploded outside a Damascus hotel where UN observers were staying in the Syrian capital, wounding at least three people, Syria's state TV reported. |
| The reports said the explosion took place near a car park used by the army command about 300 metres away. None of the wounded was believed to be UN staff. | The reports said the explosion took place near a car park used by the army command about 300 metres away. None of the wounded was believed to be UN staff. |
| But according to an Associated Press reporter at the scene, the blast went off inside a different car park belonging to a military compound near the Dama Rose Hotel, popular with the UN observers in Syria. | But according to an Associated Press reporter at the scene, the blast went off inside a different car park belonging to a military compound near the Dama Rose Hotel, popular with the UN observers in Syria. |
| The hotel was slightly damaged in the blast, with some of its windows shattered. A labour union building across the road was also damaged and black smoke was seen billowing into the sky before the fire was extinguished. | The hotel was slightly damaged in the blast, with some of its windows shattered. A labour union building across the road was also damaged and black smoke was seen billowing into the sky before the fire was extinguished. |
| UN officials in Damascus had no immediate comment. | UN officials in Damascus had no immediate comment. |
| The Syrian capital has been hit by a wave of explosions in recent months as clashes between government troops and rebels reached the city, which had been relatively quiet since the uprising against President Bashar Assad's regime began in March last year. | The Syrian capital has been hit by a wave of explosions in recent months as clashes between government troops and rebels reached the city, which had been relatively quiet since the uprising against President Bashar Assad's regime began in March last year. |
| Activists say more than 20,000 people have been killed since then and the conflict has turned into a full-out civil war. | Activists say more than 20,000 people have been killed since then and the conflict has turned into a full-out civil war. |
| "Those who carry out such terrorist attacks are destroying their country in order to get some pounds," shouted Ali Mohammed Ismail, 48, who said he happened to be in the area when the explosion occurred. | "Those who carry out such terrorist attacks are destroying their country in order to get some pounds," shouted Ali Mohammed Ismail, 48, who said he happened to be in the area when the explosion occurred. |