Car bomb kills 8, injures 20 in Syria’s Suwayda

Syrian policemen inspect the site of a car bomb explosion in the capital, Damascus. (File photo) Wed Nov 6, 2013 3:4PM GMT LAST UPDATE A booby-trapped car has gone off near an Air Force intelligence base in Syria's southwestern city of Suwayda, killing at least 8 people and injuring 20 others. The explosion targeting the intelligence headquarters happened on Wednesday near al-Umran roundabout in the city. Meanwhile, reports from Damascus say foreign-sponsored militants have stepped up firing mortar shells on different areas of the capital, including the districts of Mazzeh and Bab Touma. The fresh violence comes as Syrian forces have intensified their battle against the militants. Syria has been gripped by deadly unrest since 2011. According to reports, the Western powers and their regional allies -- especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey -- are supporting the militants operating inside Syria. According to the United Nations, more than 100,000 people have been killed and millions displaced in the violence. Recently, the UN warned against the humanitarian situation in Syria, saying over nine million people are in need of urgent aid due to the crisis in the Middle Eastern country. On October 7, the UN also announced that over four million other Syrians will be forced out of their homes in 2014 due to the escalating conflict in the country.