TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Two car bombs exploded in the centre of the Syrian city of Homs on Wednesday, killing at least 18—mostly children—and injuring 40 others, according to Syrian state news agency SANA.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an observer group based in the United Kingdom (UK), reported a similar number of victims in its report of a twin bombings in the Homs' suburb of Akrameh.
The group said that the actual number of victims may increase because more body parts were being recovered from the incident site, and several victims were in a critical condition.
"Two explosions near Akrameh al-Makhzumi school and Zaim hospital claimed lives and caused injuries," according to a Syrian state television company.
Akrameh is home to the city's Alawite population—a branch of Shiite Islam of which President Bashar al-Assad is a member.
The district has been targeted before, including on June 19, when a car bomb exploded and killed six people.
Homs was once known as the "revolutionary capital" for the anti-Assad movement. However, the majority of Homs have been recaptured by Assad's forces, with the notable exception of Waar district, reports AFP.
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