Terrorists Desperate after Army’s Victories: Syrian Minister


TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Syrian information minister said the fact that the Arab country’s military has been defeating terrorist groups on various fronts is the main reason behind the recent terror attacks in the western city of Homs.

Omran al-Zoubi said Sunday that terrorist groups resorted to terror attacks in Homs and other areas as they have been receiving major blows in recent months across Syria, the official SANA news agency reported.

His remarks came after over 50 people were killed and 100 others injured in twin bomb attacks targeting a residential neighborhood in Homs.

Security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said two vehicles laden with explosives went off within less than a minute of each other at a traffic light at al-Siteen Street in al-Zahraa district of the city, located 162 kilometers (101 miles) north of the capital, Damascus, on Sunday morning.

The latest developments came nearly a month after the Syrian forces broke a long-running siege by Takfiri militants on the villages of al-Zahraa and Nubul.

Al-Zahraa and Nubul had been under siege since July 2012. But their residents vigorously resisted to the invaders.

Syria has been entangled in civil war since March 2011, with Takfiri terrorist groups like Daesh (ISIL) controlling parts of it, mostly in the east.

In the past five years, more than 260,000 people have died in Syria - overwhelmingly civilians - and around 4 million Syrians are now refugees in other countries. Around 8 million others have been displaced internally.