Explosion in Maysat Square
BEIRUT: A bomb blast and shells fired by insurgents on the center of Damascus on Wednesday killed two people and wounded 14, Syria's state media said.
State media initially said three shells hit the city center, and only reported the explosion later in the day.
State news agency SANA said three shells struck a tall building known as the Damascus Tower and a nearby area, and that there was an explosion in Maysat Square. State TV showed a charred minibus as well as damaged cars in the area where the bombing occurred.
It was not immediately clear what kind of bomb was used.
The shells were apparently fired by Islamic State fighters in the southern part of the city, where the extremists have been battling government forces for more than two weeks. Syrian troops are advancing in the southern neighborhood of Hajar al-Aswad and the nearby Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk.
Last week, government forces were able to separate IS fighters in Hajar al-Aswad from those in Yarmouk, a built-up residential area once home to tens of thousands of Syrians and Palestinians. The capture of Yarmouk, Hajar al-Aswad and other areas would bring all of Damascus under government control.
