A series of car bomb explosions hit the Syrian capital Sunday, including a suicide attacker who blew himself up after being surrounded by security forces, Syrian TV reported. 

The first casualty reports say at least 8 killed, 12 wounded.

It showed footage from the scene of one explosion in southeast Damascus, along the road to the airport. At least two scorched vehicles appeared on one side of the road, and some nearby buildings appeared damaged. The closed-off street was littered with debris, while security men roamed the area.

State TV said security forces detected two car bombs at an entrance to the city. It was not immediately clear if the two explosions were caused by suicide bombers or detonated by security forces. State TV said security forces foiled the plot to target crowded areas on first day of work after the long Muslim holiday that follows Ramadan. 

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition-run monitoring group, also reported the three explosions. 

Such attacks have been rare in Damascus, the seat of power for President Bashar Assad. Pro-government forces have been fighting to drive rebels from Ain Terma, one of their last strongholds in the Damascus suburbs.
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