Scene of blast
Photo: AFP
Opposition website: Syria blast may be 'work accident'
Syrian opposition website suggests Damascus explosion may be result of security forces' mishap; Lebanon PM condemns attack as 'terror crime'
The Damascus blast that left 17 people dead earlier Saturday may have been a result of a "work accident" by Syrian security forces, an opposition website reported. A local resident told a website reporter the car bomb that exploded in the Syrian capital may have been meant to explode in Iraq or Lebanon.
Meanwhile, Syrian opposition figures told Ynet that the explosion may in fact be a staged incident aimed at heightening fears of a growing radical Islamic threat, thereby presenting the Syrians with a pretext to deploy troops in Lebanon.
The opposition website reported that Syrian television images make it appear that the explosion took place in a building belonging to the security establishment. However, at this time the reports are mostly speculations and the cause of the blast remains unclear.
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Saturday evening, senior Lebanese figures, including Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, condemned the explosion. The Lebanese PM issued a statement saying that "this crime is despicable and unacceptable."
Siniora referred to the blast as a "terror crime" and said such incidents must be rejected, particularly when they take place in an Arab capital.
According to television reports, the car that exploded in Damascus Saturday was rigged with at least 200 kg (440 pounds) of explosives, and also injured 14 people.
The reports also said that "an investigation by the Counter-terrorism Unit us underway to identify the attackers."
