Explosions during Syrian ceasefire

A large car bomb exploded near a children’s playground in southern Damacus on Friday, as a four day ceasefire was supposed to begin. Opposition activists said there were a large number of casualties near a mosque in the Sunni neighbourhood where the makeshift playground had been build for the Muslim Eid holiday. The bomb went off in the Daf al-Shok area, adjacent to Nisreen district which is inhabited mostly by members of Assad’s minority Alawite sect. Syrian state television blamed the explosion on terrorists. An video said to have been shot on October 26 purported to show Homs being bombarded by government forces. It shows huge explosions in the already badly damaged streets which are filled with rubble. Activists said at least one person was killed. A temporary lull in the fighting has however been reported in many parts of the country. Many Syrians are reported to have been using the pause in the fighting to take part in the largest anti-regime protests for months.