Syria: Explosion In Dera'a Wounds Six As UN Observers Pass Close By

Bomb Attack In Southern City Narrowly Misses UN Observers Convoy

An apparent bomb attack in the Syrian city of Dera'a wounded six soldiers moments after a convoy passed by carrying the head of the United Nations observer team.

The UN observers are currently in Syria to monitor a fragile ceasefire put in place after more than a year of uprisings against President Assad's government and violent reprisals by security forces.

A convoy carrying the officials, including Robert Mood who is heading the UN team, hit the southern city on Wednesday.

The AP said the explosion occurred about 100m behind the UN team.

"We were driving behind the UN convoy as protection when a roadside bomb exploded, wounding a first Lieutenant and five troops," a soldier who asked to be identified only by his first name, Yahya, told AP.

Mood said it was "a graphic experience" but insisted the mission would continue.

"[It is an] experience the Syrian people live with every day," Mood told the AP.

Also on Wednesday bullets fired close to the border of Syria and Lebanon killed a 70-year-old woman and wounded her daughter.

Seven government soldiers were also killed near to Damascus, according to the Guardian.

The attack in the suburb of Irbin came after the head of the Free Syrian Army Riad al-Assad threatened to resume assaults on government forces if they did not honour Annan's ceasefire.

On Tuesday international envoy Kofi Annan, who brokered the temporary peace deal, said that violence remained at "unacceptable levels".

But he said that he still believes the UN observer mission could help to reduce the rate of attacks by rebels and government forces.

More than 9,000 people have been killed in Syria since the start of the uprisings in March 2011, according to the UN.

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