A car bomb exploded on Sunday in a district of Syria's central city of Homs, killing three people and injuring others, including women and children, the pro- government al-Ekhbaria television channel reported.
The car bomb tore through the Mazraa roundabout in the al-Waer district, the report said, giving no further details.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the victims were mostly from the Assad forces and loyalist militias, known as "Shabbiha", or thugs.
Some pro-government news websites said the blast occurred near a military post in the area.
The blast came as the Syrian army is making advances in Homs, most notably in the district of Khalidiyeh.
Meanwhile, activists with the Local Coordination Committees said thick black smoke was seen above several districts of Old Homs, due to intense fighting and shelling there.
Activists told The Syrian Observer that regime forces immediately retaliated for the bomb, shelling using mortars on the al-Waar district, killing at least three civilians.
No party took immediate responsibility for the attack.
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