BEIRUT, April 29 (Reuters) - Two mortar shells struck central Damascus on Tuesday, killing 12 people and wounding 50, state media said.
The attack in the mainly Shi'ite district of Shaghour came a day after President Bashar al-Assad nominated himself to stand for re-election, in defiance of calls for him to step aside and allow a political solution to Syria's civil war.
Assad's forces have pushed back the mainly Sunni Muslim rebels from many of their strongholds around the capital, but residents say they have stepped up rocket and mortar attacks against the heart of the city in recent weeks. (Reporting by Dominic Evans; Editing by Janet Lawrence)
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