Syrian Interior minister Shaar was also killed in bombing

Syrian Interior minister General Mohammad ibrahim Shaar was also killed in the suicide bombing according to a report by al Arabiya.

This report comes after the news that Dawoud Rajiha, Syrian Minister of Defense was killed in the suicide bombing that targeted National Security building in Damascus during a meeting of Cabinet ministers and senior security officials, according to Syrian sources

Hezbollah’s mouthpiece Al Manar also reported that Intelligence chief Assef Shawkat was seriously injured in the attack

Syria’s minister of Information is expected to hold a press conference shortly to talk about the suicide attack

The explosion marks a pivotal point in the 16-month Syrian crisis and comes days after heavy violence reached the seat of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime. Rajiha is the highest-ranking known member of the Syrian regime to be killed.

Meanwhile, in the besieged city of Homs, “regime forces have intensified the shelling by using helicopter gunships, artillery and mortars in the city,” the opposition Local Coordination Committees of Syria said.

By midday Wednesday, at least 15 people had been killed across the country, the opposition network said.

Update: Lebanese LBC TV reported that Intelligence chief Assef Shawkat was also killed in the suicide attack. This is the second time in so many months that Shawkat was reported killed

Update: LBC reported that Jamaat Liwaa al-Islam organization claimed responsibility for Damascus bombing

Update: Syrian TV denied that Syrian Interior minister General Mohammad ibrahim Shaar was also killed in the attack and said he is in a stable condition

update: according to media reports the person behind the suicide bombing was a bodyguard of President Assad’s assistants