Booby-trapped car strikes Syria's Daraa

A booby-trapped car went off Friday in Syria's southern province of Daraa, leaving undisclosed number of casualties and great material damages, the state-TV and pro-government Sham FM radio reported. The state-TV said the blast took place at al-Mahata Square in Daraa, adding that great material damages have been caused to nearby buildings. The report said the blast left 11 people injured, some of whom are in grave condition. The blast is the second to hit Syria within hours, casting dim shadow on the prospect of the cease-fire deal that has supposedly went into effect earlier in the day. Local media reported earlier that another booby-trapped car went off in a restive suburb of the capital Damascus, killing five and injuring 32 others. The Syrian army said it had responded to attacks by armed groups, which have committed several violations to the internationally-backed truce. The cease-fire during the four-day holiday of the Muslim feast of Eid al-Adha has been pushed for by Lakhdar Brahimi, the UN-Arab League joint special envoy to Syria, and backed by the international community in the hope of starting a prelude for further pacification in the unrest-stricken country.