A mass funeral was held in Damascus on Saturday for the 44 people killed in twin suicide bombings at intelligence agency compounds. The attacks injured 166 others. President Bashar al-Assad claimed al Qaeda was behind the attacks, but opposition leaders fear the government orchestrated them in order to distract from massive assaults on protesters in the country. Bassam Ishak, the secretary-general of the Syrian National Council opposition group said he believes the attacks âwere orchestrated to distract attention from a massive assault today in Homs.â Three people died from shelling in the city on Saturday.
