Syria: Damascus police headquarters attacked Oct. 11

Event

On Wednesday, October 11, two suicide bombings were carried out near a police headquarters in the capital city of Damascus. The bombers attempted to storm the building, but were repelled by security forces before detonating their explosives outside. Officials have not confirmed if there were any casualties from the blasts. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

Context

Syria is enmeshed in a complex civil war that started between the Assad government and opposition forces in March 2011. Today, the conflict in Syria involves many parties, including the Syrian government, Syrian rebel groups, the Russian government, the Iranian government, the Turkish government, a US-led coalition, and numerous other armed groups (including the Islamic State) with competing goals.

Advice

Due to extremely poor security conditions, Western governments generally advise against all travel to Syria, with some banning travel to the country. Professional security advice and support should be sought prior to any travel to Syria.