Syria's state TV said Thursday the initial death toll of the blasts that rocked the capital Damascus earlier in the day has climbed to 40, adding that 170 people were wounded and many body parts were found.

Sources told Xinhua earlier that two suicide bombers riding booby-trapped vehicles detonated themselves before the Palestine Branch of a public intelligence compound in the capital Damascus.

The compound is located near the intersection of al-Qazzaz area at al-Mutahaleq al-Janoubi highway that connects al-Mazzeh and Jaramana districts.

The blast, which occurred at 7:55 a.m. local time (GMT 1255), ripped off the facade of the compound and left dozens of twisted debris and burned civilians' cars.

Ambulance workers used blankets and stretchers to carry blood- stained bodies into vehicles. The blast left a two-meter- deep crater. Blood stains and littered glass were seen at a distance of 200 meters, showing the power of the blast.

The head of the UN observers' mission Maj-Gen Robert Modd rushed to the scene to examine that area. He said that the blast is "horrible," adding that "terrorism doesn't pose a solution to the Syrian crisis."

The effects of the blast radiated outward, disrupting most of the high tension lines.

The nearby building's windows were blasted out and shards of glass were strewn over the floor. A nearby primary school was also damaged by the blast.

Wailing sirens reverberated across the capital, as Syrian security forces beefed up presence in several streets, rushing cars to move faster to open the way for ambulances. Military helicopters hovered over the blast site.

The blast is the latest in a string of bombings that have targeted dozens of military and security compounds across the country.

The latest major attack occurred in April, when a suicide bomber detonated himself near a security forces bus, killing nine of them. The Syrian government blamed previous attacks on al-Qaida fighters.

The state-TV said recently that it will air interviews with detained jihadists, who have infiltrated the country to carry out anarchy and bombings.