By Khaled Yacoub Oweis
DAMASCUS (Reuters) - A car bomb exploded in a residentialarea of the Syrian capital on Tuesday, killing one man andinjuring two, witnesses said.
"We saw security officers hauling the body away," one ofthe witnesses said.
"Scores of police and intelligence officers rushed to thesite. People in the neighbourhood are shocked. We are not usedto such things in Syria," another resident said.
Security officials at the scene refused to comment.
The upmarket district houses an Iranian school, a policestation and a main Syrian intelligence office.
A police truck towed away the destroyed car, a new modelMitsubishi Pajero.
Syria's Baathist government, which bans all opposition,prides itself on maintaining stability. The blast was notreported by state media and the target was not immediatelyclear.
Several officials from the Palestinian Islamist group Hamaswere at the scene but there was no indication any of itsmembers had been the target.
The witnesses and Palestinian sources in Syria and Lebanonsaid the blast was caused by a bomb planted inside the vehicle.
"The question on everyone's mind is whether any of thePalestinian leaders here was targeted and whether there hasbeen another Israeli penetration," one Palestinian source said.
Senior Hamas officials, including leader Khaled Meshaal,live in exile in Damascus. At least one mid-level Hamasofficial has been killed in Damascus by a bomb attack in recentyears.
Hamas blamed that attack on Israel.
Syria, which is technically at war with Israel, houses theleaders and headquarters of several other militant Palestiniangroups who oppose peace talks between Palestinian PresidentMahmoud Abbas and Israel.
Palestinian leaders opposed to the peace negotiations helda meeting in Damascus last month, although Syria came underWestern pressure to prevent the conference, which issued a callfor dialogue with Abbas.
(Editing by Janet Lawrence)
