(21 Feb 2013) SHOTLIST
++PLEASE NOTE THIS MATERIAL WAS SHOT BY AN AP TELEVISION CONTRACTOR WORKING WITHIN SYRIA GOVERNMENT MEDIA GUIDELINES++
1. Wide of large plume of black smoke rising above skyline from impact point in central Damascus
2. Mid of smoke rising from buildings
3. Wide of smoke rising
4. Wide of Syrian flag flying on rooftop of building, pan to smoke rising AUDIO: sirens
STORYLINE
A car bomb shook central Damascus on Thursday, exploding near the headquarters of the ruling Baath party and the Russian Embassy, eyewitnesses and opposition activists said.
A large plume of black smoke was seen rising over the capital's skyline, accompanied by the sound of sirens.
Syrian state TV also reported the blast in the central Mazraa neighbourhood, calling it a "terrorist" attack on a heavily populated area.
It did not say what caused the explosion but reported that there were casualties and that the wounded included four children.
Eyewitnesses at the scene said a car had exploded at a security checkpoint between the Russian Embassy and the central headquarters of the ruling Baath party of President Bashar Assad.
Ambulances rushed to the scene of the blast, which also shattered windows and sent up a huge cloud of smoke visible throughout much of the city, eyewitnesses said.
Damascus has so far mostly avoided the large-scale violence that has destroyed other Syrian cities, though deadly car bombings have targeted government buildings in the capital.
The blast followed two mortar attacks in as many days on the capital.
On Wednesday, two mortar shells exploded near Tishreen football stadium in south west Damascus, killing one player.
The day before, two mortar shells went off near one of Assad's three palaces in the city, causing only material damage.
Not long after the first blast on Thursday, a security official reported a second blast in the capital's northeastern Barzeh neighbourhood.
He had no other information and spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to brief the media.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said two car bombs had exploded near security centres in Barzeh.
It gave no further details.
Syria's conflict began in March 2011 with political protests against the government and has since evolved into a civil war between Assad's regime and hundreds of rebel groups seeking to topple it.
The UN says some 70-thousand people have been killed in the conflict so far.
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