Damascus memorial site bomb blast kills dozens

Damascus memorial site bomb blast kills dozens
An area close to the Sayyida Zeinab mosque, a site popular with Shia Muslims, was bombed on Sunday killing at least 30 people including five children.
1 min read
21 February, 2016
Areas around Sayyida Zeinab mosque have been hit by bombers before [AFP]

At series of bomb blasts have killed at least 30 people in the Syrian capital Damascus, close by to a memorial popular with Shia pilgrims.

Syrian state TV said that a car bomb and two suicide attacks ripped through the area of the Sayyida Zeinab mosque, killing 30 and wounding dozens.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights gave a higher death toll of 31, and said four bomb attacks took place.

"The attacks came as pupils were leaving school, and several of them were killed," the state broadcaster reported.

"There was a car bomb and two suicide bombers who blew themselves up. We don't know the cause of the fourth explosion," the Britain-based Observatory said.

The Sayyida Zeinab memorial contains the grave of a granddaughter of the Prophet Mohammed and is popular with Shia pilgrims from across the world.

The memorial has been hit before by anti-Shia extremists.

The Islamic State group said it was behind bombings in January near the mosque that killed 71 people, among them five children.

Also on Sunday, bomb blasts in a loyalist district of Homs city killed at least 57 people.