Syria's prime minister survived an assassination attempt on Monday when a bomb exploded near his convoy in the Syrian capital of Damascus, state media reported. Prime Minister Wael al-Halqi was unhurt in the attack in Damascus' western neighborhood of Mazzeh, state TV said. Footage was aired of heavily damaged cars and debris in the area of the blast as firefighters fought to extinguish a large blaze caused by the explosion. The government-run Al-Ikhbariya station said al-Halqi went into a meeting with an economic committee directly after the bombing. The attack was not the first to target a high-ranking official in the Syrian capital over the past year. On July 18, a blast at the Syrian national security building in Damascus during a meeting of cabinet ministers killed the defense minister and his deputy, who was President Bashar al-Assad's brother-in-law. That attack also wounded the interior minister. In December, a car bomb targeted the Interior Ministry in Damascus, killing several people and wounding more than 20, including Interior Minister Mohammed al-Shaar. Initially, Syrian state media said al-Shaar was not hurt in the Dec. 12 blast. News of his injuries emerged a week later, after he was brought to neighboring Lebanon for treatment of a serious back injury. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Monday's attack. Massive bombings like the one that struck the prime minister's convoy have been a trademark of Islamic radicals fighting alongside the Syrian rebels, raising concerns over the extremists' role in Syria's civil war. Al-Halqi, a senior member of Assad's ruling Baath party, took office last year after his predecessor, Riad Hijab, defected to Jordan. Al-Halqi was Syria's health minister before taking the post. He hails from the southern city of Daraa, the birthplace of the Syrian uprising.
A Syrian government official told The Associated Press that an improvised explosive device had been placed under a car that was parked in the area and was detonated as al-Halqi's car drove by. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
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Syrian prime minister dodges assassination attempt in Damascus
According to state-run media, Wael al-Halqi unhurt in attack in western Damascus neighborhood • Improvised bomb, placed under parked car, detonated as al-Halqi's car drives by • Bombing characteristic of Islamic radicals fighting with Syrian rebels.