Blast kills four people in western Syria town

At least four people have been killed in an explosion in Syria’s western province of Latakia, amid the unabated violence in the war-torn country.

According to the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the blast occurred on Saturday in the town of Qardaha in an area near a hospital.

The origin of the explosion is unknown, the UK-based group noted, adding that it “killed four people — a nurse, a hospital employee and two soldiers.”

Syria’s state media, however, said the blast was from a car bomb.

The attack was the first to strike the center of the town since the outbreak of the crisis in Syria in 2011. Qardaha’s outskirts have previously been hit by foreign-backed militants rockets.

A mausoleum containing the graves of President Bashar al-Assad’s father and predecessor, Hafez, and brother, Bassil, (pictured below) is located in the town.

Syria has been gripped by deadly violence since 2011. The Western powers and their regional allies – especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey – are reportedly arming and funding militants to fight against the government.

The violence fueled by the militant groups has so far claimed the lives of an estimated 210,000 people, according to reports. More than 7.2 million Syrians have also become internally displaced and millions more left the country due to the ongoing crisis, according to the UN. 

 

 

http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/02/21/398577/Blast-kills-4-in-western-Syria-town