Five killed, 20 injured in Syria’s Hama bomb blast

At least five people have been killed and 20 others injured in a bomb explosion in Syria’s central city of Hama.
The incident took place on Thursday after an explosive-laden vehicle exploded at the southern entrance of the city, local media reported.
Opposition sources, however, said a truck packed with explosives blew up near a security headquarters in the same area.
The Syrian television described the incident as a “terrorist explosion.”
Similar attacks have repeatedly targeted the Syrian cities over the past three years, claiming the lives of a large number of civilians and security forces.
The Thursday attack came as the government forces made new gains against foreign-backed militants in the country.
In the town of Yabroud in Damascus, army units destroyed two cars equipped with heavy machine guns and killed a group of militants.
Similar operations were carried out in Rima Farms region on the outskirts of the Syrian capital.
Syrian forces also targeted militant-held areas in Khan al-Sheih and Zakiya neighborhoods in al-Kisweh area of Damascus and eliminated many militants.
Syria has been gripped by deadly violence since 2011. Some sources say around 130,000 people have been killed and millions displaced due to the violence fueled by Western-backed militants.
According to reports, the Western powers and their regional allies — especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey — are supporting the militants operating inside Syria.