Car blast in Syrian capital hits Mezzah suburb

AMMAN: A car bomb caused the large blasts heard in the Mezzah suburb area west of the Syrian capital Damascus, Syrian state media said on Sunday.

Police sources quoted by state media said there were no injuries from the improvised explosive device (IED).

Residents earlier said large blasts were heard around the Mezzah military airport with a plume of black smoke that drifted high into the air.

The blast was close to a crowded roundabout near a busy restaurant, a witness said.

It was not clear if there was anyone who was targeted in the rare blast in an affluent area where senior government and security officials reside.

The capital was frequently hit by bomb attacks in the early years of the 12-year conflict but with the state regaining control over much of the country, these attacks have been in recent years abated.