Thousands Attend Funerals For Syrian Bombing Victims

The state-run Syrian News Agency (SANA) released this photograph following the December 23 suicide car bombings in Damascus.

Thousands of people have turned out for the funerals of the 44 people killed in two suicide bombings in Damascus on December 23.
Mourners carried coffins draped in Syrian flags through the streets of the Syrian capital to the 8th century Omayyad Mosque.
Many of those following the coffins and standing on the streets shouted words of support for beleaguered President Bashar al-Assad who has been facing violent demonstrations against his rule since March.
The UN says more than 5,000 people in Syria have been killed since those demonstrations started.
The Syrian government has blamed Al-Qaeda for the suicide bombings that appeared to target buildings of Syria's security forces.
There were reports a group calling itself Syria's Muslim Brotherhood claimed responsibility for the attack, but a spokesman for that group later denied the claim and said the Syrian regime has created a fake website and posted the message.

compiled from agency reports