Suicide bombers kill 55 in Syria

Two suicide bombers killed at least 55 people and wounded nearly 400 in the Syrian capital Damascus yesterday, authorities said, in the deadliest attacks of the country's 14-month uprising.

The blasts during morning rush hour left an apocalyptic scene of destruction and further put into question a UN-backed ceasefire that has failed to take hold since it went into effect on April 12.

Washington condemned the attacks as "reprehensible" while UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan, who brokered the truce, described them as "abhorrent".

Russia and China, both supporters of Assad's embattled regime, called for a stop to the violence and urged all parties in Syria to cooperate with Annan's peace plan. AFP