Jihadists Claim Credit for Damascus Attack That Killed Dozens

Blasts Target Air Force Compound on Outskirts of Capital

A twin suicide bombing hit a Syrian Air Force compound on the outskirts of the capital city of Damascus overnight, heavily damaging the compound and killing at least several dozen people, according to various sources.

The attack was claimed immediately by the al-Nusra Front, a jihadist group that has carried out several high profile bombings, as well as attacks on the Syrian media in recent months. The group is accused of al-Qaeda ties, but that relationship is not apparent beyond similar rhetoric.

The exact death toll in the attack was unclear, as the rebel-linked Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) claimed the attack may have killed “hundreds” of troops, and claimed the compound was housing thousands of anti-government detainees.

Some of the secular rebel factions not affiliated with al-Nusra expressed concern at the attack, citing the compound’s use as a detention center and fearing it may have ultimately killed more detained rebels than it killed regime forces.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.