DAMASCUS, Syria A car bomb shook central Damascus on Thursday, exploding near the headquarters of the ruling Baath party and the Russian Embassy, eyewitnesses and opposition activists said.
Syrian state TV also reported the blast in the central Mazraa neighborhood, calling it a "terrorist" attack. It did not say what caused the explosion but reported that there were casualties and that the wounded included four children.
CBS News' George Baghdadi said that according to reports on Syrian television, at least 20 people were killed in the blast which also struck near the Abdullah Bin al-Zubeir school, and many students were among the victims.
A man checks a woman's wrist for a pulse after a huge explosion at a security checkpoint in central Damascus, Feb. 21, 2013, in this image from the Syria's state news agency SANA.
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SANA
Officials reported the blast was the result of a suicide car bomber.
Baghdadi said the explosion caused huge damage in the neighborhood, with many cars left charred. There was no immediate confirmation from officials on the number of people killed. Baghdadi said the sound of ambulances sirens wailing as they came to and from the scene continued unabated.
The explosion shattered windows and sent up a huge cloud of smoke visible throughout much of the city. Reports said a car exploded at a security checkpoint between the Russian Embassy and the central headquarters of the ruling Baath party of President Bashar Assad.
They Syrian capital has so far mostly avoided the large scale violence that has destroyed other Syrian cities, though deadly car bombings have targeted government buildings before.
Huge, deadly blast hits central Damscus
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Huge, deadly blast hits central Damscus
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Huge, deadly blast hits central Damscus
