Death Of Druze Leader Reported In Syria Blast

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A car bomb blast has killed a Druze leader among others and injured dozens more in southwestern Syria, according to a monitoring group. Friday’s explosion on the outskirts of Suweida killed Sheikh Wahid al-Balous, who opposed both the Syrian government and armed groups fighting against it, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

A separate blast that occurred around the same time in Suweida killed and wounded dozens of people, the Syrian Observatory said.

“Sheikh Wahid al-Balous was killed in a car-bomb attack as he was driving on the outskirts of Suweida city,” Rami Abdelrahman, head of the Syrian Observatory, said.

He said a second car bomb struck near the hospital in the Dahr al-Jabal neighbourhood where the wounded were being taken.

He told AFP new agency the toll from the two attacks had risen from eight people to 26, and that 50 others were wounded. Syrian state media confirmed the two blasts and also said 26 people had been killed, blaming the explosions on anti-government groups.

Aljazeera.