The FINANCIAL — Residents in the Syrian capital awoke to two loud explosions on Sunday amid unconfirmed reports from activists that a major building belonging to the ruling Baath Party had been by hit several rocket-propelled grenades.
The Syrian Free Army, comprised of army defectors and based in neighboring Turkey, claimed responsibility for the attack. The attack could not be independently confirmed. The authorities have barred most independent journalists from entering the country.
In a statement posted on the group's Facebook page, the FSA said the assault caused casualties and damage to the building. But eyewitnesses said the party headquarters appeared intact and reported no significant security deployment around it.
If true, the Damascus attack on the Baath Party's main building would signal a turning point in the eight-month revolution against President Bashar Assad, bringing the violence that has engulfed much of the rest of the country to the heart of the Syrian capital — so far been relatively untouched.
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