Car bomb explodes in Damascus, four die

A booby-trapped car went off Thursday in front of a government research center in the Syrian capital, leaving four people dead and many wounded, Xinhua reported.

The car exploded near a government-run industrial research facility at the Somarieh suburb, the state TV said.

The channel aired footage of the blast site, showing piles of debris, burnt shops and cars. The Somarieh area houses a residential compound of Syrian army and police officers along with various shops.

The blast comes at a time Damascus is under international pressure as the US plans to attack Syria.

This follows allegations that the Syrian government unleashed nerve gas attacks in the countryside of Damascus last month. The government has denied this.