At least 31 people have been killed in a car bombing near the headquarters of the ruling Baath party in Syria’s capital, opposition activists said.
The UK-based group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said most of the dead were civilians, but members of the Syrian security services were also killed in the Damascus attack.
Witnesses and opposition activists said the explosion targeted a security checkpoint in the central Mazraa neighbourhood.
State media also reported the blast, claiming a “large number” of civilians were killed and hurt in what it said was a suicide bombing.
It claimed the attack was carried out by “terrorists” battling President Bashar al Assad in a two-year uprising.