At least one dead in Damascus blast

The cause of the explosion in the upscale Kafar Soussa area, was not immediately known.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
DAMASCUS, Syria - An explosion late Tuesday in a residential neighborhood in Syria's capital killed at least one person, destroyed a parked car and shattered windows in nearby buildings, witnesses and a news report said. The cause of the explosion, which occurred about 10:45 p.m. in the upscale Kafar Soussa area, was not immediately known. Security forces sealed off the area and removed the destroyed car. Al-Jazeera, the pan-Arab satellite television station, reported that at least one person was killed in the explosion. A neighbor saw a body covered with a white sheet on the ground, the neighbor said on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation. The identity of the victim was not immediately known. Security forces kept reporters and onlookers at a distance from the blast. Calls for comment from Syria's Interior Ministry, which is responsible for security forces, went unanswered late Tuesday night. Residents, some in their pajamas, gathered to inspect the damage, carefully stepping around shards of glass and debris. Three other cars parked nearby were also damaged, their windows shattered and doors blown out. There are no government buildings located in the mostly residential neighborhood.