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Syria conflict: Deadly attack on Damascus court complex Syria conflict: Deadly attack on Damascus court complex
(about 3 hours later)
At least 25 people have been killed in a suicide bomb attack at the main court complex in the centre of the Syrian capital, Damascus, state media report. At least 31 people have been killed in a suicide bomb attack at the main court complex in the centre of the Syrian capital, Damascus, officials say.
The bomber detonated an explosive vest after police tried to stop him entering the Palace of Justice, which is close to the famous Souk al-Hamidieyh market. The bomber blew himself up after police tried to stop him entering the Palace of Justice, near the Souk al-Hamidieyh.
Two hours later, a second bomb blast was reported in Rabweh, to the west. Later, another suicide bomber attacked a restaurant in the western district of Rabweh, injuring more than 20 people.
The bombings come on the sixth anniversary of the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad. The attacks come on the sixth anniversary of the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad.
What began as an Arab Spring uprising against an autocratic ruler has mushroomed into a brutal proxy war that has drawn in regional and world powers. What began as anti-government protests quickly mushroomed into a brutal proxy war that has drawn in regional and world powers.
Activists say more than 320,000 people have been killed and 11 million displaced.Activists say more than 320,000 people have been killed and 11 million displaced.
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Police said the suicide bomber blew himself up at 13:20 (11:20 GMT) on Wednesday, as officers tried to search him at the entrance to the Palace of Justice. Damascus police chief Mohammed Kheir Ismail told state TV that the Palace of Justice assailant was wearing a military uniform and carrying a shotgun and grenades when he arrived at the complex.
Ahmed al-Sayyid, a senior legal official, told state TV that the area was crowded with lawyers, judges and civilians at the time. Police officers took away his weapons and tried to search the man, but he ran inside the building and detonated an explosive vest at about 13:20 (11:20 GMT).
Attorney General Ahmed al-Sayyid said the area had been "crowded" with lawyers, judges and civilians, adding: "This is a dirty action as people who enter the palace are innocent."
"We were terrified because the sound of the explosion was enormous," a lawyer who was inside the complex during the attack told AFP news agency."We were terrified because the sound of the explosion was enormous," a lawyer who was inside the complex during the attack told AFP news agency.
"We took refuge in the library which is on a higher floor," the lawyer added, speaking on condition of anonymity. "It was a bloody scene.""We took refuge in the library which is on a higher floor," the lawyer added, speaking on condition of anonymity. "It was a bloody scene."
An AFP correspondent reported that the area has been locked down and that roads leading to it were blocked by ambulances and fire engines. Justice Minister Najem al-Ahmed was cited by Reuters news agency as saying the initial death toll was 31, mostly civilians, while a police source told AFP that 32 were killed and 100 wounded.
There were no immediate reports of any casualties from the second bombing in Rabweh - an area about 2km from the scene of the first attack. State media reported that the second suicide bomber had entered the restaurant in Rabweh, about 2km (1.2) miles from the Palace of Justice, and detonated an explosive vest after having been chased by security agents into the building.
No group has said yet that it carried out the bombings, the latest in a series that have targeted government-controlled areas. The official Sana news agency cited police as saying that 28 people had been injured, most of them children and women, while AFP's police source said 25 were hurt.
On Saturday, twin suicide bombings south of the Old City of Damascus killed at least 40 people, many of them Shia Muslim pilgrims from Iraq who had come to visit an ancient cemetery. No group has said yet that it carried out Wednesday's bombings, the latest in a series that have targeted government-controlled areas.
On Saturday, twin suicide bombings south of the Old City of Damascus killed at least 40 people, many of them Shia Muslim pilgrims from Iraq.
The al-Qaeda-linked jihadist group, Tahrir al-Sham, said it was behind those blasts.The al-Qaeda-linked jihadist group, Tahrir al-Sham, said it was behind those blasts.
It also claimed responsibility for an attack in the third city of Homs on 25 February, in which suicide bombers stormed two security forces offices and killed 40 people. It also claimed an attack in the city of Homs on 25 February, in which suicide bombers stormed two security forces offices and killed as many as 74 people.
Also on Wednesday, a dawn air strike on the northern rebel-held city of Idlib killed at least 20 people, including 14 children, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The violence came during a new round of peace talks in Kazakhstan's capital, Astana, which were boycotted by Syrian armed opposition groups because of what they said were repeated violations by the government of a three-month-old truce.
Meanwhile, a study by The Lancet medical journal and the American University of Beirut has concluded that Syria is the most dangerous place on earth for healthcare providers.
The "weaponisation of healthcare", it says, has translated into an estimated 814 health workers killed over the past six years, hundreds more incarcerated or tortured, and hundreds of health facilities deliberately and systematically attacked.