UN chief slams bomb attacks in Syrian capital

UNITED NATIONS: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Saturday denounced the bomb blasts in Damascus that killed at least 27 people,
and urged an end to the violence.

Ban "firmly condemns the multiple bomb attacks today in Damascus which killed and injured scores of people," he said in a brief statement. "He extends his sympathy and condolences to the bereaved families of the victims and the people of Syria."

"The secretary general calls for all violence to cease immediately," it
stressed.

Two huge blasts killed at least 27 people in Syria's capital, sparking anger at Riyadh and Doha, as special envoy Kofi Annan warned of regional fallout from the year-long bloodshed.

State television said the early morning "terrorist" attacks, apparently car bombings timed minutes apart, had targeted police headquarters in the Duwar al-Jamarek area and air force intelligence offices in Al-Qasaa district.

The explosions killed 27 people, mainly civilians, and wounded 140
civilians and security personnel, the interior ministry said. (AFP)