Syria suggests joint probe into blasts in Turkey

DAMASCUS - The Syrian government on Tuesday suggested forming a Turkish-Syrian team to probe the recent deadly explosions in a Turkish border town.

Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi made the suggestion during a press conference, saying his country is ready for a joint investigation in the bombings that killed some 50 people in Reyhanli.

Shortly after the blasts on Saturday, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay reportedly said initial investigation showed the incident was linked to Syria's intelligence agency al- Mukhabarat.

On the other hand, Syrian experts charged the explosions were carried out by parties attempting to frame Syria and thwart the upcoming Geneva conference aiming to find a political solution to its 26-month-old crisis.

In addition, the Syrian government said in a statement Tuesday that the attacks were a direct result of the spread of terrorism in the region, blaming Ankara for the deterioration of security near the joint border as it let the area become strongholds and conduits for the terrorists.