Syrian Defence Minister Daoud Rajiha has been killed in a suspected suicide bombing at the national security headquarters in the capital Damascus, Syrian state TV says.

The deputy head of the armed forces, President Assad’s brother-in-law Assef Shawkat, is also reported to have died.

Other senior officials meeting inside at the time are said to be critically hurt.

The attack comes amid claims of a major rebel offensive on the city.

Syrian officials have downplayed the attacks.

“The Minister of Defence was martyred by the terrorist bombing that targeted the national security building,” the TV report said.

Security sources say the suspected bomber worked as a bodyguard for members of President Bashar al-Assad’s inner circle.

Gen Rajiha has been defence minister for less than a year, serving previously as chief of staff, and is on a US blacklist for his role in the suppression of dissent.

He is believed to be an Orthodox Christian – a rarity in the Alawite-dominated Syrian military and government.

Syria Confilct: Diplomatic efforts

The attack comes as UN chiefs have been trying to persuade China and Russia to agree tougher measures on Syria, ahead of a Security Council vote on Wednesday on imposing sanctions.

UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon met Chinese leader Hu Jintao in Beijing.

The UN has until Friday to renew the mandate for observers in Syria, although a vote is expected in New York on Wednesday afternoon.

Western nations want a new resolution threatening measures short of the use of force.

The Western-backed draft resolution to be discussed gives the Syrian government 10 days to withdraw heavy weapons from cities and return troops to barracks, otherwise a further resolution on sanctions will be submitted to the Security Council.

Regime forces and the FSA clashed in the Al-Midan and Zahira districts of Damascus as well as at Assali south of the city, the LCC said.

Rebel forces on Tuesday said the battle to “liberate” Damascus had begun, as heavy fighting raged with the regime using helicopter gunships in the capital for the first time.
As the fighting inched closer to the regime’s nerve centre, FSA spokesman Colonel Kassem Saadeddine said “victory is nigh” and the struggle would go on until the city was conquered.

“We have transferred the battle from Damascus province to the capital. We have a clear plan to control the whole of Damascus. We only have light weapons, but it’s enough.”
“Expect surprises,” Saadeddine added.

An army officer in Damascus, however, told AFP on Tuesday that troops have “the situation under control” and were “chasing the terrorists seeking refuge in apartments and mosques.”

The source said “battles raged” in Qaboon, “where the majority of rebels were,” adding that “33 terrorists were killed, 15 were wounded and 145 were arrested,” referring to rebels.

In Beijing, UN chief Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday urged the Security Council to act to stop the bloodshed in Syria, after holding talks with Chinese leaders hours ahead of a vote on fresh sanctions.

Ban said the Security Council must unite and take action on the “very serious” situation in Syria, after meetings with China’s President Hu Jintao and Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi.

“I have explained how serious the situation is now and all the leaders in China have also shared my view that this situation is very serious,” Ban told reporters in Beijing after the meetings.

The Security Council will on Wednesday vote on a Western resolution renewing the UN mission in the country that calls for sanctions if the regime does not pull back heavy weapons.

But Syria’s main ally Russia, one of five permanent Security Council members, has vowed to veto the Western-backed proposal. China has twice joined with Moscow over the course of the 16-month conflict in blocking resolutions critical of Damascus.
Ban has already urged China to use its influence to back a peace plan by UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan, who is calling on the Security Council to order “consequences” for any failure to carry out his six-point plan.

But China has repeatedly warned against outside intervention in Syria.
“The life of Syria’s current political leadership can only be determined by the Syrian people,” said the People’s Daily, mouthpiece of the Communist Party, in an editorial on Tuesday.

“This is an internal matter and the international community should respect that.”
Representatives of the Syrian National Council (SNC) — an umbrella opposition group — met ambassadors from the 15-nation Security Council, including Russian envoy Vitaly Churkin, to press them to back sanctions.

But Russia has branded as “blackmail” the bid to link renewal of the UN mission to the threat of sanctions, and has pledged to veto the resolution calling for sanctions.
The current 90-day UN mission in Syria ends on Friday and if no resolution is passed by then, it would have to shut down this weekend, diplomats say.

The Observatory, meanwhile, said at least 93 people were killed nationwide on Tuesday, among them 48 civilians, adding to its toll of more than 17,000 dead since the revolt erupted in March last year.

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