Terrorist attacks hit Homs and Hama, 17 civilians dead

Car bombs in government-held districts of central Syria have killed at least 17 people and wounded many others.
A government official in Homs province said 13 civilians were killed in a car bomb explosion at a busy roundabout in a residential district known as the Armenian quarter in the city of Homs on Thursday.
The official said more than 30 others were wounded in the explosion that targeted the area, inhabited mostly by Alawites and Christians.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to give official statements.
Syrian TV showed footage of the blast, including burning cars, two bodies covered with sheets and fire engines struggling to extinguish a huge blaze in the area.
Earlier, the state-run news agency SANA said an explosives-laden car was detonated remotely in an area on the southern edge of Hama, killing at least four people and wounding 22.
The reports did not say who was behind the blasts and there was no immediate claim of responsibility. However, the militants fighting in Syria often carry out such attacks.
Extremist groups, particularly those linked to Al-Qaeda, frequently have targeted government institutions and Syrian troops with car bombs and suicide attacks.