Car bomb wounds 37 in government-held area of Syria's Homs

(Reuters) - A car bomb wounded 37 people including a child, now in a critical condition, in a government-held area of the central Syrian city of Homs on Wednesday, state media reported.

"Terrorists detonated a car bomb in the centre of Zahra neighbourhood in Homs city," state television said. It said the explosion caused major damage to nearby houses and shops.

Following bomb attacks this year, some Syrians loyal to President Bashar al-Assad say they are starting to feel abandoned by the government for whom they have sacrificed much.

Security forces cracked down on peaceful pro-democracy protests in 2011 which led to an armed uprising and civil war.

A double suicide bombing on Oct. 1 at a school in the heavily guarded loyalist neighbourhood of Akramah, also in Homs, was followed by the resignation of two high-ranking security officials in the city, residents said earlier this month.

Residents also criticised state-run media for not acknowledging the high number of dead and missing among loyalists in other attacks.

Reuters