Photo: BBC

A car bomb targeting the headquarters of Syria's ruling party killed 53 people and wounded 237 in central Damascus on Thursday. The bomb detonated at a checkpoint manned by government soldiers in front of the main office of President Bashar Al Assad’s Baath Socialist Party, near the Russian Embassy. The Syrian Foreign Minister said this was a suicide bombing by "terrorists" connected to Al Qaeda. Images of dead bodies, wounded victims, burned houses and damaged cars were shown on the Syrian National TV Channel. The Russian government immediately condemned the bombing and called on countries that have influence with Syria’s extremists to end such atrocities. The attack took place as the National Alliance for Syria (NAFS) considered Chairman Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib’s proposal for direct talks with President al-Assad.