Dozens killed in bomb blast in Syria’s Hama

A car bomb explosion in central Syria has killed dozens of people, according to reports from the state news agency SANA. It was not immediately clear who was behind the attack.
Syrian state news agency SANA reported Friday that 34 people were killed and more than 50 others injured, when a car bomb exploded near the central Syrian city of Hama.
The blast reportedly went off in the government-controlled Horrah village in the countryside.
A source in the Hama police command told SANA that “terrorists blew up a truck loaded with about three tons of explosive materials,” which destroyed several houses and buildings in the village.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the death toll was expected to rise because many of the wounded were in a critical condition. The group added that the area is dominated by Alawites, a sect which counts President Bashar al-Assad as a member.
It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the attack, however militants often use car bombings to target government-controlled areas or military operations.
Syria’s conflict began in March 2011 with peaceful protests against Assad’s regime but quickly evolved into civil war. The fighting has since claimed the lives of more than 100,000 people, according to the United Nations.
nm/hc (Reuters, AFP, dpa, AP)

www.dw.de