Suicide bomber kills 50 Syrian security men

An Islamist suicide car bomber killed at least 50 Syrian security men in Hama province, an opposition group said, in what would be one of the bloodiest single attacks on president Bashar al-Assad’s forces in a 20-month-old uprising.

Another day of relentless violence in Syria coincided with more unity talks in Qatar among fractious opposition factions.

Syrian state media reported that a suicide bomber had targeted a rural development centre in Sahl al-Ghab in Hama province, but put the death toll at two.

Rami Abdelrahman, the head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said the centre was used by security forces and pro-Assad militia as one of their biggest bases.

“A fighter from the Nusra Front blew himself up,” he said. “He drove his car to the centre and then blew himself up. A series of explosions followed. At least 50 were killed.”

The Nusra Front, an al Qaida-inspired group of ultra-orthodox Salafi Muslims, has claimed responsibility for several suicide bombings in the past. It operates mostly independently of other rebel factions, some of which have criticised it for indiscriminate tactics.

The state news agency SANA said: “A terrorist blew himself up in the centre which resulted in a number of casualties. Two citizens were killed and a number of them were wounded.”