- N us ra ▁Front ▁claimed ▁responsibility . ▁The ▁group ▁stated ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁carried ▁out ▁by ▁suic ide ▁car ▁bom bers , ▁followed ▁by ▁attack ers ▁dis gu ised ▁as ▁Army ▁soldiers . ▁The ▁UN ▁Security ▁Council ▁un anim ously ▁condem ned ▁the ▁bomb ings ▁as ▁a ▁" ter ror ist ▁attack ". ▁ ▁Reb el ▁f igh ters ▁attacked ▁a ▁political ▁intelligence ▁branch ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁an ▁old ▁veget able ▁market ▁where ▁a ▁large ▁number ▁of ▁troops ▁were ▁posted , ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁Observ atory . ▁O vern ight , ▁reb els ▁reported ly ▁destroyed ▁two ▁t anks ▁in ▁the ▁city . ▁The ▁Army ▁batt led ▁reb els ▁in ▁several ▁neighbourhood s , ▁including ▁Sa if ▁al - D aw la ▁and ▁S akh ur . ▁It ▁also ▁sh elled ▁the ▁Bab ▁al - N ay rab , ▁Sal ah ed d ine , ▁M ash had , ▁Bab ▁al - N as r ▁and ▁S akh ur ▁districts . ▁The ▁fighting ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁destruction ▁of ▁an ▁Army ▁tank ▁and ▁the ▁killing ▁of ▁several ▁Army ▁troops . ▁ ▁On ▁ 5 ▁October , ▁state - run ▁Sy rian ▁TV ▁said ▁that ▁government ▁forces ▁" cle ans ed ▁Sak hour ▁of ▁terror ists ▁and ▁mer cen aries ." ▁After ▁days ▁of ▁fighting , ▁an ▁AP ▁correspond ent ▁said ▁that ▁the ▁reb els ▁lost ▁control ▁of ▁several ▁buildings ▁in ▁Sa if ▁al - D aw la , ▁after ▁close - qu arter ▁combat . ▁ ▁Meanwhile , ▁re bel ▁f igh ters