Suicide bombers ‘kill 20’ outside Shiite shrine near Damascus

ISIL claimed the attack on the Sayyida Zeinab shrine, which is revered by Shiites around the world.

Syrians gather round after a bomb attack outside the Sayyida Zeinab shrine near Damascus on June 11, 2016. Sana via AP

BEIRUT // At least 20 people were killed on Saturday when suicide bombers struck outside a Shiite shrine near Damascus, according to a Syria monitoring group, in an attack claimed by ISIL.

Syria’s official Sana news agency said two suicide bombers, one in a car, attacked the entrance to the Sayyida Zeinab shrine, which is revered by Shiites around the world.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based opposition monitoring group, said at least 20 people were killed, including 13 civilians, while more than 30 were wounded.

Sana gave a toll of at least 12 dead and 55 wounded.

ISIL claimed the attack, according to the Amaq news agency, which is closely linked to the group. It said the attack was carried out by three suicide bombers.

The shrine, located around 10 kilometres south of the centre of Damascus, is heavily guarded by pro-government forces but has still been the target of several extremist attacks, including those claimed by ISIL.

Syria’s official Al Ikhbariya channel showed images from the scene of burned-out cars billowing with plumes of black smoke.

Firefighters battled to extinguish the flames as shop signs lay in the street.

The last attack on Sayyida Zeinab on April 25 killed at least seven and wounded dozens.

A string of ISIL bombings near the shrine in February left 134 people dead, most of them civilians, according to the Observatory.

Another attack claimed by ISIL in January killed 70 people.

Hizbollah cited the threat to Sayyida Zeinab as a principal reason for its intervention in Syria’s civil war on the side of president Bashar Al Assad’s government.

The shrine contains the grave of Zeinab, a venerated granddaughter of the Prophet Mohammed, and is renowned for its glistening golden, onion-shaped dome.

* Agence France-Presse