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Correspondent for Iranian TV Killed After Blasts Rock Syrian Military Site Syrian Insurgents Mount Fierce Attack on Military Compound in Damascus
(about 5 hours later)
DAMASCUS, Syria — At least two large explosions struck a military headquarters in a busy square in central Damascus on Wednesday morning, in what appeared to be the second insurgent attack on President Bashar al-Assad’s military in two days. DAMASCUS, Syria — Suicide bombers struck a military headquarters in a busy square in central Damascus on Wednesday morning, the second insurgent assault on a government military installation in two days and the largest attack in the capital since July, when explosions killed several key aides to President Bashar al-Assad.
In gunfire that followed the explosions, a television correspondent — Maya Nasser of Press TV, the Iranian English-language satellite network — was killed during a live broadcast, the network said. Press TV said its Damascus bureau chief, Hussein Murtada, also came under attack and was injured. In gunfire after two explosions, a television correspondent — Maya Naser of Press TV, Iran’s English-language satellite network — was killed during a live broadcast, the network said. It said its Damascus bureau chief, Hussein Murtada, was wounded.
The explosions struck a warren of government buildings in one of the capital’s most guarded areas, near a presidential office used by Mr. Assad. One of the bombs went off at a building used by the Army General Command, and the second hit the air force’s command headquarters, witnesses said. In a statement, the Syrian Army said that “armed terrorist gangs, with foreign links, carried out a new terrorist act this morning by blowing up an explosives-laden car and a bomb at the Army General Command, which damaged the building, caused a fire and wounded some of the guards.”
A huge pall of dark smoke rose over central Damascus afterward and was called the biggest since the explosions on July 18 that killed several of Mr. Assad’s key security aides, including the defense minister and the president’s brother-in-law. The warren of government buildings is in one of the capital’s most guarded areas, near an office used by Mr. Assad. State television broadcast images of a small white minibus slowing to a stop on a busy road near the wall of the compound and then exploding in a fireball. Other images showed what appeared to be another blast in the compound. Witnesses said it struck the air force command headquarters.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack Wednesday. Witnesses said the blasts were precursors to a fierce armed attack. One said that dozens of insurgent fighters appeared almost immediately, attacking with grenades and gunfire while guards from the military complex ran around in a panic.
The latest bombing attacks in and around Damascus on Tuesday and Wednesday seemed to demonstrate that antigovernment fighters remain able to strike close to centers of power, even after weeks of efforts by the Syrian military to drive the rebels from the capital and its suburbs. Reports of the toll varied. Syrian state news media said that four guards were killed at the military headquarters and that 14 people were wounded, including some civilians, while witnesses said they saw dead guards, soldiers and insurgent fighters.
On Tuesday, insurgents bombed a school they claimed was being used as a headquarters and barracks for military officers and for the government’s plainclothes security enforcers, known as shabiha. There were at least two claims of responsibility. The Free Syrian Army, the umbrella group for defected soldiers, said on its Facebook page that one of its fighters blew himself up at the compound gate, allowing four others to enter, and that a car bomb killed everyone in the courtyard. It also said informers had helped plant bombs inside the compound a day earlier.
In a statement after the bombing on Wednesday, the Syrian Army said that “armed terrorist gangs, with foreign links, carried out a new terrorist act this morning by blowing up an explosives-laden car and a bomb at the Army General Command, which damaged the building, caused a fire and wounded some of the guards.” An Islamist group, Tajamo Ansar al-Islam, also claimed responsibility. None of the claims of either group could be independently verified.
It was impossible to immediately verify how many people were hurt or killed in the explosions. Witnesses said they saw dead guards, soldiers and insurgent fighters. The Associated Press reported four dead and 14 wounded, citing state television, but the state news agency initially said only that guards at the military complex were injured. On Tuesday, insurgents bombed a school they claimed was being used as a headquarters and barracks for military officers and for the government’s plainclothes security enforcers, known as shabiha. The attacks showed fighters remained able to strike close to centers of power, even after weeks of efforts by the Syrian military to drive them from the capital.
Hala Jaber, a journalist in Damascus for The Sunday Times of London, posted photographs online Wednesday showing a fire at the military headquarters and smoke engulfing the facility. “Huge explosion now followed by sound of gunfire and siren of ambulances,” Ms. Jaber wrote on Twitter, saying that a second explosion was heard shortly afterward. Hala Jaber, a journalist in Damascus for The Sunday Times of London, posted photographs online on Wednesday showing fire and smoke engulfing the military headquarters. “Huge explosion now followed by sound of gunfire and siren of ambulances,” Ms. Jaber wrote on Twitter, saying that a second explosion was heard shortly afterward.
Witnesses near the site of the bombings said the explosions were precursors to a fierce armed attack. One witness said that dozens of insurgent fighters appeared almost immediately after the blasts, attacking with grenades and gunfire while guards from the military complex ran around in a panic. A 40-year-old driver who works near Umayyad Square, where the buildings are, described chaotic scenes of battle, as rebels fought their way into the army headquarters and others fired on soldiers from rooftops. Then, he said, “big numbers of soldiers and security men came from everywhere and they surrounded the building, and began fighting in a crazy way.”
A 40-year-old driver who works near Ummayad Square, where the buildings are, described chaotic scenes of battle, with some rebels fighters fighting their way into the General Staff headquarters while other insurgents fired on soldiers from rooftops. Then, he said, “big numbers of soldiers and security men came from everywhere and they surrounded the building, and began fighting in a crazy way.” “I cannot believe what I saw,” the driver said. “The government cannot protect its military and key security buildings, so how can it protect the country?”
“I cannot believe what I saw,” said the driver. “The government cannot protect its military and key security buildings, so how can it protect the country?” Another witness described the shock of seeing fighting in the center of the capital. “I saw dozens of armed security men and soldiers killed and injured,” he said, adding that, for a time, gunfire from the rebels prevented ambulances from approaching.
Another witness described the shock of seeing Syria’s conflict in the center of the capital, where it has rarely intruded. “I saw dozens of armed security men and soldiers killed and injured,” he said, adding that, for a time, gunfire from the rebels prevented ambulances from approaching.
“To see dozens of armed rebels, with snipers, machine guns and grenades — I was not expecting this in my life,” the witness said.“To see dozens of armed rebels, with snipers, machine guns and grenades — I was not expecting this in my life,” the witness said.
The government responded quickly, shutting down parts of the capital, including entrances to Damascus and all roads leading to Ummayad Square. Temporary checkpoints were set up throughout the city center as dozens of security officers streamed in. The shabiha militiamen searched shoppers in the Souk al-Hamadiya, the market in the heart of old Damascus. The government responded quickly, shutting down parts of the capital, including entrances to Damascus and all roads leading to Umayyad Square. Checkpoints were set up as dozens of security officers streamed in. Shabiha searched shoppers in the Souk al-Hamidiya, the market in the heart of old Damascus.

An employee of The New York Times reported from Damascus, Syria, and Kareem Fahim reported from Istanbul. Reporting was contributed by Hania Mourtada and Anne Barnard from Beirut, Lebanon, and Alan Cowell from London.

An employee of The New York Times reported from Damascus, and Kareem Fahim from Istanbul. Hania Mourtada and Anne Barnard contributed reporting from Beirut, Lebanon, and Alan Cowell from London.