Syria’s Aleppo: Twin Bomb Blasts Bring Death and Misery

Twin bomb blasts decimated the Syrian security headquarters at Aleppo on Friday, killing over 25 people in the worst ever violence witnessed in the 11-month-long uprising against President Bashar al-Assad.

The twin car bombings timed two minutes apart, had a devastating impact, as mangled bloodied bodies and severed limbs lay strewn on the pavement outside the targeted buildings. The incident apparently shattered the calm and peace of an early morning Muslim Sabbath at Aleppo city, Syria's commercial capital.

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Photo:Reuters Syrian security and civil defence members inspect the site of an explosion in Syria's northern city of Aleppo, February 10, 2012.

One of the two sites of explosion

The victims of the bomb blasts included a mix of military and police personnel, innocent civilians and children outside the security headquarters and a police compound, according to a Ministry of Health statement on state television.

Photo:Reuters Police helmets lie on the ground outside the police headquarters building, one of two sites of bomb blasts in Syria's northern city of Aleppo, February 10, 2012.

Death and destruction in the aftermath of twin bombings

The bomb blasts are deemed to be the handiwork of unknown foreign-affiliated terrorists in a bid to overthrow the oppressive government rule. The government's resolve of using military force and diplomatic efforts have gone in vain.

Photo:Reuters A damaged bus is seen outside the police headquarters building, one of two sites of bomb blasts in Syria's northern city of Aleppo, February 10, 2012.

Civil War like situation

The army tanks continued to amass in the neighborhood of activist hide-outs in the city of Homs on Friday morning. Meanwhile, demonstrations escalated to the center of the capital, Damascus, inviting anti-government action into expansive territories.

Photo:Reuters Syrian security personnel inspect the site of an explosion in Syria's northern city of Aleppo, February 10, 2012.

Retaliation of government's offensive

The government’s relentless offensive against the uprising has resulted in uninhibited shelling in the residential areas of the city, as the activists’ plight of resolving the country’s crisis against oppressive regime takes a fatal blow.

Photo:Reuters Syrian security personnel inspect the police headquarters, one of two sites of bomb blasts in Syria's northern city of Aleppo, February 10, 2012.

Death and misery in the aftermath of dual explosions

According to reports from state television on New York Times, the dual explosions wounded about 235 people, leaving 14 of them in a critical state. Images of severed limbs, disemboweled victims alongside concrete wreckage depict the misery plaguing Syria in the wake of an escalating civil war.

Photo:Reuters Syrian workers inspect the site of an explosion in Syria's northern city of Aleppo February 10, 2012.

The plight of half-decimated buildings

Shattered windows, cracked masonry and half-decimated buildings marked the plight of bombings, besides death and destruction. In the wake of the negotiations for peace talks failing, the militants have decimated several military tanks in a bid to overthrow armed insurgency into their secluded territories.

Photo:Reuters Syrian workers inspect the site of an explosion outside a military security building, one of two sites of bomb blasts in Syria's northern city of Aleppo, February 10, 2012.

Who' s behind the bombings is still a mystery

Though, it is not clear who is behind the bombings in Aleppo, or similar attacks in Damascus during December to January, it appears Syria is facing a similar crisis as that of neighboring Iraq and Lebanon.

Photo:Reuters Damaged cars are seen outside a military security building, one of two sites of bomb blasts in Syria's northern city of Aleppo, February 10, 2012.

Still uncertain if Al Qaeda is behind the bombings?

The involvement of Al Qaeda’s affiliates in the bombings is uncertain, although the analysts in Washington hint of a serious possibility. “It comes as no surprise that Al Qaeda’s Iraq affiliate — through its networks in Syria — might attempt to seem relevant by going after the Assad regime,” said an American official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity as the assessment contained classified information. Also adds, “It is opportunism, plain and simple.”

Photo:Reuters Syrian security personnel inspect damaged riot police vehicles outside the police headquarters building, one of two sites of bomb blasts in Syria's northern city of Aleppo, February 10, 2012.

The probable effects of Retaliation from the activists

“This is the regime’s foreign policy coming back to bite it,” said Andrew Tabler, a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and author of a recent book - Syrian-American relations.

Photo:Reuters Damaged buses are seen outside the police headquarters building, one of two sites of bomb blasts in Syria's northern city of Aleppo, February 10, 2012.

The hallmarks of bombings resemble those of the Damascus

Reports further suggest that the Aleppo bombings resembled those of the Damascus, as they bore the hallmarks of the attacks committed by Sunni extremist groups, according to experts. The new foreign activists seem to have triggered the bombs in retaliation of the relentless shelling and military offensive into the secluded territories.

Photo:Reuters A view of a damaged building at the site of an explosion in Syria's northern city of Aleppo, February 10, 2012.

The action of retaliation to shellings from the Syrian military

“Clearly the gloves are coming off,” Mr. Tabler said, further adding, “You cannot have the shelling of Homs for six days without someone hitting back.”

Photo:Reuters An excavator removes debris at the site of an explosion in Syria's northern city of Aleppo, February 10, 2012.

What might have spurred the civil war?

Syria is a mix of religious sects and ethnic minorities, with some extremists spurring the Sunni majority toward a sectarian war against the Alawite minority that has ruled the country for 40 years.

Photo:Reuters A damaged vehicle is seen outside the police headquarters building, one of two bomb blasts sites in Syria's northern city of Aleppo, February 10, 2012.

Aleppo's history of unrest and civil war

Aleppo has witnessed raging battles between outlawed Muslim Brotherhood and the government of President Hafez al-Assad (father of Bashar al-Assad) since time immemorial (dating back to 1970s and 1980s). However, there were no signs of a resurrection of that conflict, since the Muslim Brotherhood ranks were reportedly decimated and have never been rebuilt.