Suicide Attacks Hit Damascus Police Center

An army soldier secures the area of a blast site in the Baytara traffic circle near the Old City of Damascus, Syria July 2, 2017. REUTERS/Omar Sanadiki
An army soldier secures the area of a blast site in the Baytara traffic circle near the Old City of Damascus, Syria July 2, 2017. REUTERS/Omar Sanadiki
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Suicide Attacks Hit Damascus Police Center

An army soldier secures the area of a blast site in the Baytara traffic circle near the Old City of Damascus, Syria July 2, 2017. REUTERS/Omar Sanadiki
An army soldier secures the area of a blast site in the Baytara traffic circle near the Old City of Damascus, Syria July 2, 2017. REUTERS/Omar Sanadiki

Three suicide bombers blew themselves up near the police headquarters in central Damascus on Wednesday, Syrian state media said, in the second such attack to hit the capital this month. Terror group ISIS later claimed that attack.

The blasts killed one person and injured six others, state television said, citing the interior ministry.
The suicide bombers tried to storm the police command center and clashed with guards before detonating explosive belts at the entrance, it said.

The police cornered the third attacker behind the building, where he blew himself up on the street, state media added.

Earlier this month, suicide bombers struck a police station in another part of the capital, with 17 people reported dead.

On that note, Syria's Kurds were reportedly cited as ‘competitive’ against the pro-regime forces, seeking control over oil-producing areas, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem said on Wednesday.

"They (the Kurds) know well that Syria will not allow its sovereignty to be violated under any conditions," Moualem told his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov during a meeting in Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi.

"They are now drunk on US assistance and support. But they need to understand that this assistance won't last forever."



Tunisia Groups Urge Inclusion of Rejected Candidates in Poll

FILE PHOTO: Tunisian President Kais Saied attends a signing ceremony with Chinese President Xi Jinping (not pictured) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China May 31, 2024. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/Pool/File Photo/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Tunisian President Kais Saied attends a signing ceremony with Chinese President Xi Jinping (not pictured) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China May 31, 2024. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/Pool/File Photo/File Photo
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Tunisia Groups Urge Inclusion of Rejected Candidates in Poll

FILE PHOTO: Tunisian President Kais Saied attends a signing ceremony with Chinese President Xi Jinping (not pictured) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China May 31, 2024. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/Pool/File Photo/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Tunisian President Kais Saied attends a signing ceremony with Chinese President Xi Jinping (not pictured) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China May 31, 2024. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/Pool/File Photo/File Photo

A petition signed by prominent Tunisians and civil society groups was published on Saturday urging that rejected candidates be allowed to stand in the October 6 presidential election, Agence France Presse reported.

Signed by 26 groups including Legal Agenda, Lawyers Without Borders and the Tunisian Human Rights League, it welcomed an administrative court decision this week to reinstate three candidates who had been disqualified.

They are Imed Daimi, who was an adviser to former president Moncef Marzouki, former minister Mondher Zenaidi and opposition party leader Abdellatif Mekki.

The three were among 14 candidates barred by the Tunisian election authority, ISIE, from standing in the election.

If they do take part, they will join former parliamentarian Zouhair Maghzaoui and businessman Ayachi Zammel in challenging incumbent President Kais Saied.

Saturday's petition was also signed by more than 180 civil society figures including Wahid Ferchichi, dean of the public law faculty at Carthage University.

It called the administrative court "the only competent authority to adjudicate disputes related to presidential election candidacies.”

The petition referred to statements by ISIE head Farouk Bouasker, who on Thursday indicated that the authority will soon meet to finalize the list of candidates, "taking into consideration judicial judgements already pronounced.”

This has been interpreted as suggesting the ISIE may reject new candidacies if they are the subject of legal proceedings or have convictions.

The administrative court's rulings on appeals "are enforceable and cannot be contested by any means whatsoever,” the petition said.

It called on the electoral authority to "respect the law and avoid any practice that could undermine the transparency and integrity of the electoral process.”