President al-Assad's military has fought against rebels for 16 months. (Wikimedia Commons)

Three of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's top military officials were killed in a suicide bomber attack Wednesday.  According to Reuters, their death is the worst blow to Assad's high command in the 16 months of the country's turmoil.

Assad's brother-in-law, the defense minister and a top general were killed in the attack.

Reuters said that the bomber attacked a meeting in central Damascus attended by ministers and senior security officials near battles raging by the presidential palace. 

Residents fear retaliation from the government, and said that helicopters fire machine guns and rockets at residential districts. 

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