BEIRUT: Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt condemned Monday the recent attacks in Damascus while at the same time questioning the timing of the two blasts that coincided with the arrival of Arab League observers hoping to help end the crisis in that country.

“Although the occurrences of the two bombs in Damascus specifically in a security zone coincides with the arrival of Arab observers raises many questions, the party still ... strongly condemns these terrorist bombings,” Jumblatt said in his weekly statement to Al-Anbaa newspaper to be published Tuesday.

Damascus said Friday that more than 40 people were killed and over 150 wounded after two suicide bombs hit security service buildings in the country’s capital. The attacks occurred on the same day that Arab League observers arrived in the country to lay the groundwork for an observer mission that was signed by Damascus a few days earlier.

Syrian authorities have blamed Islamist al-Qaida for the twin attacks.

The mission is part of an Arab initiative to end the violence in the country which stipulates Syria withdraw its army from the streets, release all political prisoners and launch dialogue with the opposition in a bid to end the nine-month crisis in that country.

Jumblatt, who has repeatedly urged President Bashar Assad to implement reforms, reiterated his rejection to the violence against peaceful protesters.

The U.N. estimates 5,000 Syrians, mostly civilians, have been killed in the crackdown by Damascus since unrest started in the tightly controlled country in mid-March. Damascus denies the allegation that it targets civilians and Thursday said that over 2,000 members from its armed and security forces had been killed since the uprising began.

In the statement, Jumblatt also said the suicide attacks should not be used as an excuse to hinder the work of the observers on the ground. 

"[The attacks] should not be used as an excuse not to allow Arab overseers to visit all Syrian areas without any exception or divert its natural path or neglect.”

Jumblatt, who is in a wide coalition with Syria's allies in Lebanon, also said the only way Syria would be able to end its crisis was through a political solution.

Assad’s government has maintained that killings in the troubled country are taking place at the hands of “armed gangs” backed by foreign powers to topple his rule.

Friday’s twin attacks came only days after Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn warned that al-Qaida members had infiltrated the north Lebanon town of Arsal under the guise of Syrian refugees.

Without naming him, Jumblatt criticized Ghosn’s statements.

"I wish that officials would have a bit of wisdom, rationality and prudence in dealing with sensitive security issues, taking for example the ubiquitous use of the name 'al-Qaida' that gets used by everyone at any time,” the PSP leader said.

"These issues should not be dealt with via political and press statements but rather through raising the level of coordination between Lebanon's security entities and especially the [Lebanese] Army intelligence and [Internal Security Forces] Information Branch just as in the case of revealing Israel’s spy networks," he added.