Syrian Rebels Bomb Top Damascus Official’s Car, Killing Him

Civilian Bystander Also Wounded in Blast Near Mosque

Bombing attacks continue to be a favored tactic of rebel factions in Syria’s ongoing civil war, and Asaad Muhanna, the head of the Damascus Governor’s Office, was assassinated today in a bombing attack against his car.

Reports from the Syrian state media indicate that rebels rigged a bomb to the underside of Muhanna’s car while it was parked in the Mashru Dummar district, near a mosque. It was detonated, apparently remotely, when Muhanna attempted to drive away.

The blast killed Muhanna and wounded a bystander who was walking nearby. It also caused what was reported to be “significant” damage in the area. No group has yet claimed credit for the attack.

Rebels have favored the use of bombing attacks, particularly in Damascus, for the past several months, as a way to underscore their ability to cause damage in the heart of the Syrian government’s remaining territory. Though difficult to detect, the bombings have the downside of causing civilian casualties, sometimes in large numbers.

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.