Damascus, May 10 (IANS): At least 40 people were killed and 170 wounded Thursday when two suicide bombers triggered massive blasts in the Syrian capital city.

The deafening explosions took place in an area that houses a military intelligence complex.

The two suicide bombers riding booby-trapped vehicles detonated themselves, ripping off the facade of the compound and leaving twisted debris and burnt civilian cars, sources told Xinhua.

Ambulance workers used blankets and stretchers to carry bodies into vehicles after the huge blasts that took place at about 7.50 a.m.

Woman and children in the streets screamed out of fear, while passing cars raced out fearing the occurrence of a third explosion.

Wailing sirens reverberated across the capital as Syrian security forces beefed up presence.

The toll in the blasts climbed to 40, said Syria's state TV and added 170 people were wounded and many body parts were found.

The suicide bombers targetted the military intelligence complex that is located near the intersection of al-Qazzaz area at al-Mutahaleq al-Janoubi highway that connects al-Mazzeh and Jaramana districts.

The head of the UN Observers' mission, Maj-Gen Robert Modd, who rushed to the scene, said the blast is "horrible".

He added that "terrorism doesn't pose a solution to the Syrian crisis".

The twin blasts 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 Qaeda.