Explosions struck two security facilities Feb. 10 in Aleppo, Syria, severely damaging the Military Security Branch headquarters and a police station in the al-Orkoub area. According to the Syrian Health Ministry, the attacks killed at least 28 individuals, including civilians, and wounded 235 others. The twin blasts were the first large-scale attacks in Aleppo, but they follow a number of other increasingly sophisticated attacks since November 2011 targeting the Syrian government's military and security infrastructure throughout the country. Immediately following the bombings, the Syrian regime accused armed "terrorists" of carrying out the attacks and posted graphic footage of the blasts' aftermath on state television. Though Free Syrian Army (FSA) rebels denied responsibility (and in fact accused the government of staging the attacks itself as a way to undermine the rebels) the group or one of its offshoots likely did conduct the strikes.