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By Lee Berthiaume

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OTTAWA — Canada has dismissed as ‘comical’ Syrian government claims that al-Qaeda was behind two suicide bombings in the country that have left 44 people dead and injured 100 more.

The UN says more than 5,000 people have died since mass protests against President Bashar al-Assad’s regime erupted in March.

Announcing a new freeze on Syrian regime assets held by Canadian banks Friday, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird questioned the credibility of the al-Qaeda explanation, citing previous Assad denials that any violence was taking place within the country.“If it wasn’t so serious it would almost be comical,” he said.

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The violence in the country took a deadly fresh turn Friday after two blasts exploded at security service bases in the Syrian capital, Damascus – the first suicide bombings in the country since the uprising began.

“Forty-four people, civilians and security forces, were killed and 166 others injured in the two terrorist operations,” the interior ministry said, as an advance team made preparations for Arab League observers to oversee a plan to end the bloodshed.