More violence in Syria as Ban blames Al-Qaeda for suicide attacks | Middle East Star

More violence in Syria as Ban blames Al-Qaeda for suicide attacks

Middle East Star Friday 18th May, 2012

• 55 people were killed in the May 10 twin suicide attacks

• Ban said deployment of UN peace monitors has had "dampening" effect on violence

• He said "maybe 10,000 people" have been killed in the uprising so far

DAMASCUS - Syria on Friday saw escalated violence in some parts even as UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon blamed the Al-Qaeda for two deadly suicide car bomb attacks that killed 55 people last week.

At least 372 people were also wounded in the twin suicide attacks in Damascus on May 10 the deadliest in the city in over a year.

Ban also said the deployment of UN peace monitors has had a "dampening" effect on the violence.

Referring to the May 10 incident, the UN chief said: "Very alarmingly and surprisingly, a few days ago, there was a huge serious massive terrorist attack. I believe that there must be Al-Qaeda behind it. This has created again very serious problems."

Syrian officials have blamed "foreign terrorists" for the twin bombings.

Ban also said he believed that "more than 9,000, at least, maybe 10,000 people" have been killed since the uprising began 15 months ago.

"It has reached an intolerable situation now," he said at an event at UN headquarters.

Meanwhile, violence continued on Friday, with reports of security forces opening fire on demonstrators in Douma, near Damascus, and in Aleppo.

In Aleppo, security forces opened fire on anti-government demonstrators after dawn prayers, the opposition network of Local Coordination Committees of Syria said.

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