Explosions stemming from attacks at the hands of rebel forces in the Syrian city of Latakia have killed at least 23 people and wounded 40 others on Tuesday, marking one of the bloodiest attacks on President Bashar al-Assad's regime in recent months.
The twin blasts hit separate parts of the city, one from rocket fire, while the other from either a rocket or a planted explosive device, the Britian-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, according to Reuters.
There are conflicting reports about the actual number of those killed and injured, however. State news media report that 22 people died and 62 were wounded, while local police report 23 people dead and 65 people injured.
One thing for certain however, is that since many of those injured were listed as in critical condition, the death toll is expected to rise, according to AFP.
Syria's government condemned what it called "terrorist" attacks on the city, state television reported in a newsflash, giving no further details. The government refers to anyone fighting against it as terrorists, regardless of whether they're rebels or actually terrorists.
Latakia, which lies in the heartland of the minority Alawite sect to which Syria's ruling clan belongs, has been largely spared from violence during the four-and-a-half years of the Syrian civil war, reported RT. However, it has been targeted frequently by rebels and jihadists as of late due to its symbolic value as a regime stronghold.
The rebel groups have a presence in the province's northern countryside, but the city remains under government control.
Latakia province is also home to an air base Russia is using to conduct air strikes in support of Assad against insurgents, mostly in the west and northwest of the country.
