Bombs hit pro-Assad area of Syrian capital

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By Khaled Yacoub Oweis and Mohammed Abbas, ReutersAMMAN — Multiple bomb explosions on Wednesday hit a hilltop area in Damascus populated by members of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's Alawite sect, marking escalation of sectarian attacks in a conflict that has deepened religious Middle East divides.

Follow @NBCNewsWorldThe attack occurred a day after deadly tit-for-tat attacks in segregated neighborhoods of the capital, deepening the divide between the Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shi'ite Islam backed by Iran that has ruled Syria since the 1960s, and Sunnis leading the 19-month revolt against the Assad family rule.

The uprising against 42 years of autocratic rule by Assad and his late father has claimed more than 32,000 lives and left many parts of Syria in ruins.




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