Bomb Blast Near Damascus Mosque Kills 5

Syrian state-run television says a bomb exploded outside a mosque in Damascus on September 7, killing five security personnel and wounding several people.

The report said the blast was caused by an explosives-rigged motorcycle.

It occurred as worshippers were leaving the mosque after Friday Prayers.

Earlier in the day, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said residents had recovered a total of 45 unidentified bodies in two towns on the outskirts of the Syrian capital.

Meanwhile, the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Peter Maurer, said in a published statement that he had received "positive commitments" from Assad on the situation of the tens of thousands of people detained since March 2011.

But he added that the promises needed to be tested. Maurer spoke after returning from a three-day trip to Syria.

Based on reporting by AFP and RFE/RL