1 Killed in explosive device blast in Damascus

An explosive device affixed under a car of a government official went off in the Syrian capital Damascus' district of Rukin Addien on Monday evening, injuring the driver and causing material damage, local media reported. Pro-government Sham FM said armed terrorist groups tried to assassinate Samer Shibly who works for the National Reconciliation Ministry, and placed the explosive device under his car, adding that the bomb ripped through the car but injured the official's driver only. Blasts in Syria have become daily routines, especially in the Damascus where the armed militias are trying to wobble the Syrian administration's grip on power. In a related issue, Syrian government troops eliminated scores of armed rebels in several restive suburbs of Damascus Monday, SANA said. The Syrian government says it's fighting jihadists and Takfiri groups linked to the al-Qaida terror network.