An explosive device affixed under a car of a Syrian journalist went off Sunday at an upscale district of the capital Damascus, injuring the journalist, sources said.

The blast occurred in al-Mazzeh district in Damascus, which had been struck at early hours Sunday by another blast caused by a car bomb.

Ayman Wannous, the journalist, was injured along with other passersby, sources said, adding that the blast left some material damage on nearby buildings.

Many journalists have paid a steep price in Syria's 19-month- old crisis as many of them have been either kidnapped or killed.

Earlier Sunday, a booby-trapped car went off on the main highway in al-Mazzeh before the crack of dawn, leaving material damage but no casualties.

The blast apparently targeted a government troops' checkpoint in the area, which groups a number of foreign embassies, including the Iranian one, and also some headquarters and houses of Syrian officials.

Locals in the area posted online images of the blast site, showing a ravaged building and piles of debris.

Blasts have become increasingly common in Syria, particularly in the capital, as the protracted crisis is getting more complicated.

An al-Qaida-linked group calling itself al-Nusra Front has claimed responsibility for almost all the blasts that rocked military and security installations nationwide that resulted in scores of deaths among military personnel and civilians alike.