12 Syrian troops killed in 2 car bombings in Palmyra

At least 12 members of Syria's security forces were killed in two suicide car bombings targeting a military intelligence headquarters in the south-central city of Palmyra on Wednesday. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that more than 20 troops were also wounded, some in critical condition, after simultaneous attacks against the intelligence branch and a nearby security building. It said rebel fighters attacked the buildings soon after the double blasts, while the army deployed security forces in the city renowned for its Roman ruins and which has been designated as a world heritage site by UNESCO. A shootout around the intelligence buildings erupted after the bombings leaving eight civilians wounded as clashes broke out elsewhere in the central Homs province city. The UN says more than 60,000 people have been killed in violence across Syria since the outbreak of a revolt in March 2011 that morphed into an insurgency after the army launched a brutal crackdown on dissent. Elsewhere, the Observatory reported fierce battles between the army and rebels in the southern Damascus district of Qadam amid bombardments in the south and east of the capital.