Syria Rocked By Bombings Claimed By Islamic State As US-Russia Talks Stall

Islamic State has claimed responsibility for five co-ordinated suicide bombings and other attacks that have killed at least 48 people in Syria. The wave of attacks came as Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin held discussions about the Syrian conflict on the sidelines of the G20 summit in China, but failed to finalise a deal on stemming the bloodshed. IS-run Aamaq news agency said the militant group was behind the "simultaneous" blasts that were timed to coincide with Monday's morning rush hour. Syrian state TV said 48 people were killed, but British-based monitoring group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights put the toll at 53 people. The blasts targeted government-controlled areas and Kurdish forces. The cities hit were: :: Tartus At least 35 people died in a double bombing on a bridge leading to this coastal city, a stronghold of President Bashar al Assad and home to a Russian naval base. Another 43 people were injured. The city had been largely spared the worst violence of Syria's conflict and had become