Car bomb blast kills 15 in Damascus

An explosion caused by a suicide car bomber in central Damascus killed at least 15 and injured over 50 on Monday afternoon. The bomber was able to enter the the parking lot of the national bank in his car, passing six checkpoints along the way.
The blast site was adjacent to a mosque and a school, with children believed to be among the 15 dead. According to Syrian media reports, gunfire after the blast was caused by soldiers clearing the way for ambulances.
The blast blew out windows in surrounding buildings and burned cars. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.