Bomb Blast in Homs Hurts 37, Including Children

At least 37 people, including children, were injured in a car bomb attack on a government-controlled neighborhood in the central Syrian city of Homs on Wednesday, state television reported.

"Terrorists detonated a car bomb in the center of Al-Zahraa neighborhood, causing deaths and injuries," it said.

It later said at least 37 people had been hurt, including children who were "in serious condition", adding that the blast had caused major damage.

The majority of Al-Zahraa's residents are Alawite, the same sect as President Bashar al-Assad.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group, also said the blast had caused injuries.

The bombing is the latest in a series of attacks targeting government-controlled areas of Homs city.

In early October, a double bomb attack in another Alawite neighborhood hit a school, killing 52 people, among them 48 students.

After the bombing, angry parents and residents staged demonstrations calling for the resignation of senior security officials.

Two local security officials were reassigned, though Homs's governor denied the move was related to the demonstrations.

Homs was once known as the "capital of the revolution" because of the strength of anti-government activity there after Syria's uprising began in March 2011.

But most of the city is now back under the control of the regime, with the exception of the northwestern Waer district.