LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Four top officials were killed and several others were wounded in the attack. Among those killed were Defense Minister Dawood Rajiha; Deputy Defense Minister Assef Shawkat, who was al-Assad's brother-in-law; Hasan Turkmani, al-Assad's security adviser and assistant vice president and Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim al-Shaar.

The attack occurred at a meeting of ministers and security officials. The building where the bombing took place is in Rawda Square, near al-Assad's home and the U.S. Embassy, which had suspended operations in February.

According to the deputy head of the opposition Free Syrian Army, Col. Malek al-Kurdi, the attack was coordinated by several rebel brigades in Damascus.

Video from a Damascus suburb showed Syrians rejoicing upon hearing news of the bombing.

In response, Al-Assad quickly named Gen. Fahd Jassem al-Freij as defense minister.

Anthony Skinner, an analyst with the think tank Maplecroft, which provides risk assessments on global business, says that the attack was highly significant. The attack represents "a massive psychological blow to the regime" and will accelerate al-Assad's "demise," Skinner says.

After the 16-month relentless uprising, this attack possibly demonstrates that "the regime itself is crumbling," Rime Allaf, an analyst with Chatham House, a think tank focusing on international affairs says.

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says that this latest attack show "a real escalation in fighting," he said.

It "tells us that this is a situation that is rapidly spinning out of control, and for that reason it's extremely important that the international community, working with other countries that have concerns in that area, have to bring maximum pressure on Assad to do what's right, and to step down and to allow for that peaceful transition."

Violence increased in nation's capitol of Damascus after several days of sustained fighting in the capital. Loud explosions and heavy gunfire echoed through the city.

Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zubi vowed that those behind the attack will be held accountable, even if they are outside the country.

He also insisted that those trying to divide the army are failing. "This army has not been divided," he said.

This statement runs counter against verified reports of officials in the Syrian military defecting over the past several days.  

Two more brigadier generals fled to Turkey overnight, bringing the number of Syrian generals in Turkey to 20, a Turkish Foreign Ministry official said.

.