Syria: Chilling Eyewitness Blogger Account on Damascus Explosion · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

With very little information coming out on today's massive explosion in Damascus, Syria, one blogger was on the site and rushed back to his computer to describe to the world the scene of devastation and chaos he has witnessed.
Syrian Medad was minutes away from the explosion and gives us an eyewitness account of what happened:
صباح هذا اليوم 27/09/2008 هز انفجار شديد العاصمة سورية دمشق على بعد مئتين متر من سيارتي التي كنت استقلها من منطقة السيدة زينب صباح هذا اليوم باتجاه دمشق عبر مفصل (المتحلق الجنوبي) أي قبل حوالي عشرين دقيقة من الآن تماماً..
الانفجار لم يكن مسموعاً بقدر ما كان محسوساً فقد قفزت السيارة التي كنت استقلها الى الهواء لمسافة نصف متر تقريباً ثم جلست على الأرض في حالة ذهول مني..  ناهيك عن صوت الانفجار الضخم الذي يجب ان يكون مسموعاً الى مسافة بعيدة جداً.. وعند المرور عند موقع الحادث الذي كان قرب الثكنة العسكرية التي تُدعى على حسب قول السائق (قسم الدوريات) كانت أشلاء تتطاير في المكان عددت منها قطع لأربع اشخاص إضافة الى جثة مرمية على طرف الشارع وجرحى لا يحصى عددهم..
The explosion was not audiable as much as it was felt and my car leaped for half a metre in the air. I then sat on the ground in a state of complete shock.. added to that the sound of the explosion which must have been heard over a long distance. While passing by the incident site, which was near a military point, which the driver described as the Patrols Department, I saw body parts belonging to four different people, in addition to the bodies on either sides of the streets and countless injured people…
الانفجار كبير جداً وما زالت سيارة تحترق في الجوار وحائط كبير قد سقط من الثكنة العسكرية اضافة الى اشجار كاملة قد هبطت على كلا الطرفين وقطع بشرية متناثرة في الجوار وسيارات الاسعاف تنطلق بسرعة جنونية وقد اخلت بالفعل عدداً منهم..
الحقيقة لم اشعر بالخوف بقدر ما شعرت بالاسف لما حدث والحمد لله انني كنت بعيداً عن تلك النقطة حتى ولو على بعد مئتي متر، وكما آمنت دائماً لكل إنسان وقته وأظن أن وقتي لم يحن بعد..
عذراً أحب أن أقول بأن الانفجار غير ناتج عن (جرة غاز) أو (انفجار سيارة) بحادث أو أي كذبة أخرى قد تخرج بها الحكومة.. الانفجار كبير اسقط حائطا كاملاً من الثكنة العسكرية والانفجار خارج الثكنة على الشارع تماماً وليس داخلها، وهناك سيارات محترقة وجثث وأموات والعديد من الجرحى.. والوقت كان حوالي الثامنة إلا ربعاً من صباح اليوم أي قبل نصف ساعة من الآن تماما..
سأوافيكم بالتفاصيل فيما بعد..
عذرا لان التدوين غير محبوكة النص بسبب السرعة..
حفظ الله هذا الوطن من كل شر..
Dania, from Syria, has a post entitled 17. She writes:
17 people are killed… and no one knows any thing, no news agency knows any thing, no further details but … 17 people are killed.
200kg of explosive… who, how, and why…
17 people are killed…I can't think right now, my brother was on his way to the airport.
They say it might be an assassination, and they say it might be only a threat to the national security.
17 people are killed
Sasa, meanwhile, posts catches up with the rumour mill and brings us the latest:
So, it's been a few minutes since the bomb, and already people are spending their time wishing up conspiracy theories based on their filthy politics, instead of thinking about the fact that seventeen lives have been lost.
Here's what I've heard already:
- The bomb was near the Sidi Kadad Intelligence Headquarters, responsible for monitoring Palestinians in Damascus – it must be Palestinians taking revenge
- The bomb was on the airport road – it must be Israelis trying to hurt a symbol of national significance
- The bomb was in Sayida Zeinab – it must be the Iraqi problem being exported
- The bomb was trying to undermine the stability of the Syrian government – it must be the Americans
- The bomb was revenge for the killing of a top government official last month – it must be the Syrians
- The bomb was revenge for the killing of Hizbollah official Imad Mughniya – it must be the Lebanese
- The bomb follows other attacks across Syria by religious extremists – it must be Al Qaeda
Just think about the dead – instead of how the attack supports your filthy view of the world.
And Syria affairs expert Joshua Landis links to a Telegraph article for the news. Commentators on his post were quick to respond.
Offended said:
Very disturbing news. What kind of a sick ideology or agenda is behind such attacks?
And IDAF responded:
Luckily it is a weekend and no children were in the damaged elementary school in the location.
Syrian TV was the only source of information and footage so far. Some images here:
http://www.syria-news.com/readnews.php?sy_seq=83046
From neighbouring Egypt, Zeinobia explains:
This is the first terrorist act that targets the Syrian civilians since a long time. Also it comes after a serious of mysterious assignations assassinations took place across the country. Not to mention it comes at the same time the Syria seems to regain power in the region.
Till now the message behind this blast is not obvious , it is for sure sent to the Syrian regime but for what ?? For its Relations with Iran or the regime itself !!??