Activists say more than 20,000 people have been killed since the revolt began in March 2011. The conflict has descended into a civil war.
On Saturday, Damascus saw two bombings that brought chaos to some of the capital's most exclusive areas in a symbolic blow to Assad.
One blast - from a device planted under a tree - was set off by remote control as a vehicle carrying soldiers passed by in the Marjeh district. The explosion, which caused no casualties, was about 100 yards (meters) from the Four Seasons, one of the top luxury hotels in Damascus.
After the blast, gunmen opened fire on civilians “to provoke panic,” SANA reported.
At the same time, the second explosion went off near Tishrin Stadium, less than a half mile (kilometer) away, it added.
Just hours later, SANA said that a bus was attacked in a Damascus suburb, killing six passengers traveling from the central province of Hama.
The news agency said security agents were pursuing the attackers in all incidents, referring to them as “terrorists” - the term authorities routinely use for rebels trying to topple Assad’s regime.

http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/08/13/231974.html