Bomb Kills Three In Damascus

A bomb explosion in Damascus has killed at least three people.

The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the explosion at a compound in the Ruken al-Deen neighborhood also wounded 10 others.

Syrian official television said three civilians were killed in Rukn al-Deen in what it described as a suicide attack.

The identities of those killed -- military or civilian -- could not be independently confirmed.

Meanwhile, French President Francois Hollande urged rebels in Syria on June 23 to "retake" zones that have fallen into the hands of extremist Islamist groups.

He said that if extremist groups "benefit from the chaos in future, [Syrian President] Bashar al-Assad will seize this as an excuse to continue his massacres."

Based on reporting by AFP, AP, and Reuters