Blast hits damascus
'Huge explosion' in Syria capital causes fatalities: monitor
It was unclear if the blast was caused by a bomb that was planted or a suicide attack, the monitor said, adding that shooting followed the explosion.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said they had killed 13 civilians, including children, but no fighters.
The head of the Sweida provincial health authority told the pro-Damascus Sham FM that 215 people were killed and 180 injured in the attack, as well as 75 Islamic State fighters.
Assad said in the same interview on Sunday that Syria would not accept any Western money to help rebuild the country, which is shattered after seven years of war.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it was the highest 48-hour death toll in the Syria conflict since a 2013 chemical attack on eastern Ghouta.
Turkey, which regards the Kurdish YPG militia in Afrin as a threat on its southern border, launched an assault on the region last month.
Officials said the bombers had been prevented from reaching their intended targets, otherwise the casualty toll would have been higher.
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Rebel forces attacked Syria's main court in central Damascus on Thursday.