DAMASCUS, November 4 (RIA Novosti) - An explosion that rocked the premises of a state-controlled labor union near the Dama Rose hotel in the Syrian capital has wounded several civilians, the Syrian state TV reported on Sunday.

"An explosion caused by terrorists went off near to the Dama Rose hotel and the union federation, which left a number of people wounded and causing damage to the area," the TV channel said, without specifying the number of persons injured in the blast.

The area hit by the explosion is located close to several security centers and Syrian military headquarters.

Meanwhile, rebels in Syria said they were involved in a fierce fight against government forces to gain control of a key airbase in the country’s north, which is located between the city of Aleppo and the capital Damascus.

Syrian state-run news agency SANA confirmed that the attack took place but said government troops repelled it, killing "large numbers of terrorists" and destroying their vehicles “equipped with machineguns.”

The Syrian conflict has claimed tens of thousands of lives, according to various Syrian opposition groups. The UN puts the death toll at 20,000-30,000 people.

The West is pushing for President Bashar Assad’s ouster while Russia and China are trying to prevent outside interference in Syria, saying that the Assad regime and the opposition are both to blame for the bloodshed. Veto-wielding Moscow and Beijing have three times blocked sanctions resolutions on Syria.