Over 45 People Killed Near Damascus as Peace Talks Commence

Approximately 45 people were killed and 110 wounded during a triple bomb blast near the Sayyida Zeinab shrine on Sunday near Damascus in Syria. This occurred just as the peace talks between the UN and main opposition group, the High Negotiations Committee, commenced. 

The High Negotiations Committee is backed by Saudi Arabia, and the group initially refused to attend the peace talks unless their humanitarian demands for Syria were met by the UN. 

The head of the Syrian government delegation said that the bombings cement the supposed link between opposition groups and terrorist groups. Despite the fact that Islamic State is not invited to the peace talks, there is a reason to remain cautious about announcing the presence of opposition groups in these talks as it may provoke further terrorist action.

The High Negotiations Committee’s threat to boycott the peace negotiations was later overturned by increasing pressure from international governments and most notably the United States. 

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said of the talks, "I urge all parties to put the people of Syria at the heart of their discussions, and above partisan interests.”