In Damascus, the rumors are rife, but the conclusion is clear. The ruler President Assad is now under more serious threat than ever before. That does not mean it's on the point of immediate collapse, but the death of Assef Shawkat, the president's powerful brother-in-law, is a triple blow for the ruling family. He's the closest person to the president to be killed so far. The personal command and control he built up in the armed forces has now gone, and his apparent assassination in the heart of the capital will make others in the regime wonder if anywhere in the country is safe for them.

大马士革流言纷纷，但结论很清楚。统治者阿萨德总统目前面临的威胁比以前任何时候都要严重，但这并不意味着马上就要垮台，但总统有权势的姐夫阿瑟夫·沙乌卡特之死，是对这个统治者家族的第三次打击。他是目前丧生者中与总统最亲密的人，他在军队中建立的个人指挥与控制中心已经不再，他在首都被暗杀一事，也令政权中的其他人怀疑国内是否有安全之地。

Syria's rebel Free Syrian Army has said it was responsible for the bomb attack in Damascus. The Syrian government said it was more determined than ever to hit back at what it called terrorists backed by the United States and Israel. But unlike previous incidents, Syrian state television has not shown images from the attack.

叙利亚叛军自由叙利亚军称对大马士革的炸弹袭击负责，叙利亚政府称，将对所谓由美国和以色列支持的恐怖分子予以更坚决的反攻。但与以往的事故不同，叙利亚电视台并未公布袭击事件的图片。