Suicide Bombings in Syria Kill at Least 40

A series of suicide bombings Wednesday in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo caused massive damage, killing at least 40 people and filling the streets with rubble, The New York Times reported.

The four attacks, near an officers’ club in a main square of a government-controlled part of the city, almost completely leveled one building and ripped the facades off several others, according to the Associated Press. Both government and rebel representatives said the attacks appear to be the result of car bombs, according to The Times. The government blamed rebels for the attack.

There were no immediate claims of responsibility, according to The Times.

Another bomb was detonated near the Chamber of Commerce, but the number of casualties there was unknown, according to AP. 

A Syrian government official told AP that officers killed two more would-be bombers before their explosives could be detonated. He also said the death toll would almost certainly rise.

Reuters reported on Wednesday that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had planned to visit Aleppo to take a first-hand look at the fighting. It was unclear whether he was in Aleppo when the bombings struck.

Rebels have been mounting a new offensive this week to seize the city, according to Reuters.