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Ambulances ferried out casualties after security forces fired tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannon at demonstrators protesting against what they call Lebanon’s “political dysfunction”.

Police officials told reporters Thursday that authorities believed those behind the blast must have been planned it in advance, maybe a month ahead of time, and likely included a site inspection team, bomb makers, bombers and an escape team.

Thailand’s military junta spokesman Col. Winthai Suvaree says that this week’s deadly bombing in Bangkok was “unlikely to be linked to global terrorism”.

“We have to waste time putting the dots together”.

Mohammed Rayhan was assumed to be among more than 100 people killed when Syrian government forces bombed a market place in Douma, just north-east of Damascus, over the weekend in the single deadliest attack on the countryside town.

Some protesters suffered smoke inhalation and were taken away by ambulances for treatment.

It was the first time in two years that the council agreed on a political statement on Syria, which French Deputy Ambassador Alexis Lamek described as “historic”.

Water cuts have been used before in the Syrian civil war, with Damascus and the northern city of Aleppo, Syria’s largest city and former commercial centre, most affected.

“Douma is one of the largest suburbs of Damascus and has been held by rebels since the early days of Syria’s conflict, which began in March 2011 with mostly peaceful protests but escalated into a full-scale civil war after a massive government crackdown”, notes AP.

On Monday, the UN’s humanitarian chief fiercely condemned attacks against civilians in Syria at a press conference in Damascus.

He noted she was not considered a suspect but could have valuable witness testimony, if police could find her.

The authorities believe bomb blasts at the Erawan shrine and Sathorn Bridge in Bangkok this week were aimed at discrediting the military government, national police chief General Somyot Poompanmuang has said.

Prime suspect… the Royal Thai Police released this image of a man in a yellow T-shirt near the Erawan Shrine before the explosion.

Douma is situated within the Syrian insurgent stronghold of Japanese Ghouta and is a daily goal of presidency air strikes.

Burns told a television news channel that he nearly had a panic attack when he saw himself being mistaken by people on social media for the Bangkok bomber.