At least 42 killed in suicide bomb attack at Syrian mosque

USPA News - At least 42 people were killed after a suicide attack on Thursday at a Syrian mosque, local authorities said. The attack occurred at the al-Iman Mosque located in the district of al-Mazraa in Damascus, the country`s capital, when the suicide bomber detonated the explosives inside the mosque.

The incident took place while Mohammad Said Ramadan a-Bouti, a decorated scholar, was giving a religious lecture, according to SANA news agency. Authorities believe he was the target of the attack, as he has commonly spoken out against terrorism, criticizing rebel insurgency. The blast killed at least 42 people, including al-Bouti, and injured 84 others, according to the country`s Health Ministry. Emergency teams rushed to the scene and transported the victims to local hospitals. The attack comes only two days after dozens were killed and injured in an alleged chemical rocket attack in Syria`s Aleppo. According to the United Nations, more than 70,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed and more than three million displaced since March 2011, when the uprising against President al-Assad began. In addition, some 1.1 million people have taken refuge in neighboring countries.