Dozens of people are reported to have been killed or wounded by two bomb blasts in the Syrian capital, Damascus, on Saturday morning.
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The explosions followed a briefing to the United Nations Security Council in Geneva on Friday by former UN Secretary-General and now special envoy to the region, Kofi Annan.
Two car bombs targeted the aviation intelligence department and criminal security department buildings in Damascus, according to Syria’s state-run news agency SANA.
Initial, but unconfirmed, reports said that 27 people had died with nearly 100 injured.
Many people have been killed in other bomb attacks in Damascus and Syria’s second city Aleppo in recent months. An estimated 8,000 people have been killed in the year-long uprising against Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Saturday’s blasts were timed for a day before Annan – who is also recognised as a special envoy by the Arab League – was due to send a technical team to assess peace options in Syria.
Switzerland recalled its ambassador to Syria and closed its embassy in August of last year as the violence intensified.
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