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A bombing in the Syrian capital of Damascus yesterday claimed three lives when the Free Syrian Army apparently targeted a military meeting. The blasts took place near a military compound and a hotel housing several United Nations monitors. Syrian President Bashar Al Assad’s regime called it a “terrorist explosion,” and “another attempt by those who seek to distort the civilized image of Syria and its people.” Since the uprising began 17 months ago as part of the broader Arab Spring movement for democracy, the Syrian government has characterized the conflict as an attempted foreign-backed ouster. However, news reports of civilian casualties inflicted by government forces belie that claim. The BBC is reporting that Syrian war planes killed 30 people in the Northern town of Azaz near Aleppo yesterday.

Fears also abound that the Syrian conflict is spilling over its borders to provoke a broader, regional crisis. In addition to tens of thousands of Syrian refugees fleeing to neighboring countries like Turkey, Lebanon has become embroiled in the war. A group of Lebanese have apparently been held hostage in Azaz by Syrian rebels, some of whom are now reportedly missing or wounded as a result of yesterday’s attack. In retaliation for the kidnapping, a group in Lebanon claims it is holding some Syrians in Lebanon hostage.

As the conflict gets more complex and chaotic, what’s missing from the news are the personal stories of how ordinary Syrians are coping with the on-going violence.

Southern California based Syrian American rapper Omar Offendum has family members in Syria and his latest pieces of music reflect the general aspirations of the Syrian people. Risking the ire of the Syrian government, Offendum has recorded a number of works critical of the former and current Arab dictatorships in Egypt, Tunisia, and of course Syria. His latest album SyrianAmericana features some of these works. Omar Offendum has also released the songs #Jan25, and #Syria online.

GUEST: Omar Offendum, Syrian American rapper based in Los Angeles.

Read Omar Offendum’s blog at http://offendum.blogspot.com/