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Twin bombings in Syria's Homs kill, wound 20 gov't forces

Xinhua, July 11, 2015 Adjust font size:

At least 20 government forces were killed and wounded when the Islamic State (IS) militants detonated two car bombs near military positions in Syria's central province of Homs before daybreak Saturday, a monitor group reported.

The booby-trapped vehicles targeted positions of the Syrian army near the Station-4 and Hajar area in the eastern countryside of Homs, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The UK-based watchdog group said the explosions were followed by battles between the IS and the Syrian troops in the same areas.

Meanwhile, the Syrian warplanes struck rebel positions in the town of Sa'en in the northern countryside of Homs, killing one person.

The IS militants have recently been attempting to achieve gains in eastern Homs amid reports that the terror-labeled group is eying the T-4 military airbase in that area.

Activists said the aim behind the twin bombings of the IS is to inch closer toward the airbase, one of the most important airbases in central Syria. Endit