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Damascus Explosion Shakes Eastern Neighborhood Of Syrian Capital

Massive Explosion Shakes Syrian Capital
Reuters
In this picture taken on Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013, a Free Syrian Army fighter takes his position at a previous Syrian army forces checkpoint, at the main entrance of Christian village of Yacoubieh, in the northern Syrian province of Idlib, Syria. Syrian warplanes and artillery hit targets near Damascus International Airport on Friday following a particularly bloody day of attacks in the capital that killed dozens and struck deep into the heart of the city. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
In this picture taken on Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013, a Free Syrian Army fighter takes his position at a previous Syrian army forces checkpoint, at the main entrance of Christian village of Yacoubieh, in the northern Syrian province of Idlib, Syria. Syrian warplanes and artillery hit targets near Damascus International Airport on Friday following a particularly bloody day of attacks in the capital that killed dozens and struck deep into the heart of the city. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

(Recasts with death toll)

BEIRUT, Feb 25 (Reuters) - Five members of Syria's security forces were killed by a car bomb in eastern Damascus on Monday, and the blast was followed by heavy clashes between rebels and forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, a monitoring group said.

The force of the explosion in the Qaboun neighbourhood shook the Syrian capital at around 9 p.m. (1900 GMT), residents said.

State television and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which has monitored the violence in Syria since the uprising against Assad erupted nearly two years ago, said the blast was caused by a car bomb.

The Observatory said rebels were clashing with security forces and that mortars had been fired in the area.

Monday's blast followed a series of car bombs in the capital on Thursday, the biggest of which killed at least 60 people in the Mazraa district of Damascus, according to activists. (Editing by Jon Hemming)

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