DHAKA: Above 100 people have been killed in multiple attacks claimed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group in strongholds of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Concurrently car bombs and suicide bombers in bus stations, hospitals and elsewhere in the coastal cities of Tartus and Jableh in Latakia region appeared to severely breach government defenses, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Al Jazeera reports on Monday (May 23).

A local news channel of what it said were spots of the blasts in Jableh showed several twisted and incinerated cars and minivans.

The Syrian Observatory said that at least 53 people were killed in Jableh, and 48 in Tartus. At least three explosions rocked Tartus, and there were at least four in Jableh.

ISIL claimed responsibility for the attack through one of its media arms.

However a Russian naval base is located in Latakia and Jableh is extremely close to a Russian airbase.

BDST: 1802 HRS, May 23, 2016
SAS/BD