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Damascus, Feb 21 (IANS) At least 16 people were killed and 208 wounded Thursday when a suicide bomber blew up a car packed with explosives at a busy intersection close to the ruling al-Baath Party headquarters in capital Damascus, the state media reported. The blast rocked a crowded intersection, the state-media and witnesses said. The state-TV aired footage of the blast site, showing images of destruction and carnage, reported Xinhua. Charred bodies were also seen scattered on burnt concrete as firefighters and paramedics worked feverishly to help the injured to hospitals. After the blast, the authorities arrested another would-be suicide bomber who was driving a car rigged with explosives in the same area. The explosion was felt nearly two km around the area, shattering glass in nearby buildings and sending ominous smoke plume above the city center. The blast was also followed with heavy gunfire as the authorities cordoned off the area and closed main routes to central Damascus. Blasts and mortar attacks have become increasingly common in Syria as the rebels scaled up their attacks to wobble the regime's grip on power.
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