The attacks were the first against the powerful security services in the heart of the capital since an uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began in March.
"Forty-four people, civilians and security forces, were killed and 166 others injured in the two terrorist operations," the interior ministry said, as an advance team made preparations for Arab League observers to oversee a plan to end the bloodshed.
The material damage was considerable, the statement on state television said, charging that "the hands of Al-Qaeda were behind" the attacks.
One bomber tried to ram a vehicle packed with explosives into the compound of the General Security Directorate, Syria`s most important plain-clothes security service, in the Kfar Suseh neighbourhood of Damascus, witnesses said.
A second blew up a vehicle outside a nearby military intelligence building.
Television showed pictures of a huge crater at one of the bomb sites and pools of blood on surrounding pavements.
Bystanders were seen carrying away charred and mangled bodies wrapped in makeshift shrouds.
"On the first day after the arrival of the Arab observers, this is the gift we get from the terrorists and Al-Qaeda, but we are going to do all we can to facilitate the Arab League mission," Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Meqdad told reporters at one of the bomb sites.
Asked to comment on suggestions that the bombings had been engineered by the regime itself, Meqdad shot back: "Anyone who makes such allegations is a criminal."
The opposition group, the Syrian National Council, made just such a claim.
"The Syrian regime, alone, bears all the direct responsibility for the two terrorist explosions," said an SNC statement received in Nicosia.
"It wanted to send a warning message to the observers for them not to approach security centres."
The regime is trying to give the world the impression "that it faces danger coming from abroad and not a popular revolution demanding freedom and dignity," the statement added.
The SNC also accused the regime of having transferred "thousands of prisoners (from jails) to fortified military barracks," to which the observers would not have access.
While not specifically rejecting Syria`s account of what happened, France accused the regime of trying to hide its brutal tactics from foreign observers. (*)
Editor: Kunto Wibisono
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
