Beirut - An explosion outside a mosque in Syria's
capital killed five security personnel on Friday and wounded several
others, state television said.
Syria TV said the "terrorist"
blast had been caused by explosives attached to a motorcycle in the
Damascus neighbourhood of Rukn al-Din.
The 17-month-old revolt
against President Bashar Assad's rule has grown increasingly bloody in
recent months, as rebels try to bring the fight to his seat of power in
Damascus and to the economic hub, Aleppo.
Assad's forces have
cracked down with troops, tanks and helicopter gunships on the unrest,
which began as a series of peaceful protests but has now descended into
civil war.
An opposition group, the Syrian Observatory for Human
Rights, said Friday's blast had been aimed at a security patrol in the
area.
The British-based group, which has a network of activists
across Syria, said that, in addition to the five dead, the explosion had
wounded six members of the security forces, leaving several in critical
condition.