74 people killed in Syria

Damascus, May 23 (IANS) At least 74 people were killed in multiple bombings that rocked two Syrian coastal cities on Monday.

As many as 45 people were killed when four blasts ripped through the coastal city of Jableh, 25 km from the Syrian port city of Latakia, Xinhua news agency reported.

Two of the bombings rocked the gates of the main bus station in Jableh, the third occurred near the Electricity Directorate, while the fourth was caused by a suicide bomber at the emergency room of the National Hospital in Jableh.

Following the Jableh blasts, four bombings rocked the coastal city of Tartus, which is only 100 km from Latakia.

The Syrian national TV said three bombings took place near a bus station in Tartus city and were caused by suicide bombers and a car bomb.

It said a pickup truck blew up at the gate of the bus station, while two suicide bombers detonated their explosive belts inside the station.

The fourth blast was caused by a suicide bombing at the Assad Suburb near the bus station in Tartus.

The Syrian national TV placed the death toll of the Tartus blast at more than 20, while the Sham FM radio cited medical sources as saying that over 29 people were killed in Tartus bombings.

The blasts are considered the first to hit Tartus and Jableh, which have remained largely calm during the country's five-year-old conflict.

The state TV said the Turkey-backed Ahrar al-Sham were behind the bombings.