Early on December 23rd, suicide attackers detonated two powerful car bombs in Damascus, the capital city, killing at least 30 people. Attacks targeted two powerful Syria's intelligence agencies. The blasts went off outside the main headquarters of the General Intelligence Agency and a branch of the military intelligence, both located in the Kfar Sousa district. According to government officials, Al Qaeda militants are behind these attacks, but opposition groups raised doubts over the authorities' version.
The blasts occurred as President Bashar al-Assad’s regime intensified its crackdown ahead of the arrival of the Arab League officials in Syria on Thursday. They are in the country to prepare a monitoring team that will check whether the government is implementing a plan to end the bloodshed against protesters demanding the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad. This week, more than 200 civilians were killed by security forces in two days. According to the latest report published by the United Nation mid-December, at least 5,000 protesters have been killed by security forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad since the beginning of the unrest eight month ago.
Due to the current situation, most of western embassies advise their citizens against all travel to Syria and advise those already in the country to consider leaving as soon as possible by commercial means.
