Top Syrian officials reported killed in suicide blast in central Damascus

Syria’s two top defense officials, Defense Minister Dawoud Rajiha and Deputy Defense Minister Assef Shawkat (who was Bashar al-Assad’s brother-in-law) died in an attack on a national security building in central Damascus on Wednesday, according to Syrian state media. That would them the highest-ranking officials killed so far in the uprising — which in recent days the Red Cross has started calling a “civil war.” It’s worth noting that, as with all stories about Syria, journalists have been restricted in their ability to report on the region, so mainstream outlets often have difficulty verifying such reports, even those made by Sryian state media.