Bomb explosion near school in Damascus suburb

The school was occupied with Syrian security forces and pro-Assad militiamen at the time of explosion.

Zeenews Bureau Damascus: Two bombs exploded near a school building in Syrian capital Damascus on Tuesday, activists said. Though no casualties have been reported, four children were injured, reported ANI quoting a pro-government radio channel. The Martyrs`` Sons School which was occupied with Syrian security forces and pro-Assad militiamen at the time of explosion, lies on the highway leading to Damascus International Airport, Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. It was unclear if the highway or the school was the intended target. There have been unconfirmed reports the school had recently been turned into a military intelligence center. In past, rebels have planted many bombs to target the security establishment in Damascus. The capital city, once known as Assad’s seat of power, is now often in news because of battles between regime troops and the opposition fighters. In July, a bombing killed four senior security officials, including the country`s defense minister and President Bashar Assad`s brother-in-law. The United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria has confirmed the increasing presence of foreign elements, including jihadist militants, in Syria. UN investigators said some of the jihadists have joined rebel groups, while others are operating independently. Paulo Pinheiro, an expert leading the UN team of human rights investigators, said some recent bomb attacks may have been carried out by some such groups. The Syrian government has from the beginning blamed the unrest on armed extremists acting out a foreign plot but not true reform seekers. Activists said the 18-month-old unrest in Syria killed more than 23,000 people, while some official sources said at least 8, 000 army and security personnel have so far been killed. With Agency Inputs