Syria: At least 40 killed in dual Damascus bombing targeting Shia Iraqis
Warning: Graphic image. More than 120 others wounded in double bomb attack
Your support helps us to tell the story
This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.
The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.
Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.
A double bomb attack targeting Shia Muslim pilgrims in Damascus killed at least 40 Iraqis and wounded 120 more who were going to pray at a nearby shrine, the Iraqi foreign ministry said.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Saturday’s attack, which the Hezbollah-run Al-Manar TV station said was carried out by two suicide bombers.
Footage broadcast by Syrian state TV showed two badly damaged buses with their windows blown out. The area was splattered with blood and shoes were scattered on the ground.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has received support in the country’s civil war from Shia militias from countries including Iraq, Afghanistan and Lebanon. Iran, which backs Lebanese Hezabollah, is also a key ally.
The attack took place at a bus station where the pilgrims had been brought to visit the nearby Bab al-Saghir cemetery, named after one of the seven gates of the Old City of Damascus.
The second blast went off some 10 minutes after the first at around 10am local time, inflicting casualties on civil defence workers who had gathered to tend to the casualties, according to Al-Manar.
The pilgrims were due to pray at the cemetery after visiting the Sayeda Zeinab shrine just outside Damascus, the channel reported.
Sayeda Zeinab, the granddaughter of the Prophet Mohammad, is venerated by Shias and her shrine is a site of mass pilgrimage for Shias from across the world. It has also been a magnet for Shia militiamen in Syria.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based organisation that reports on the war, said the death toll was at least 44 – that figure is set to rise given the number of serious injuries, the organisation added.
In June Isis claimed responsibility for bomb attacks near the Sayeda Zeinab shrine. The last bomb attack in Damascus was in January, when a suicide bomber hit the heavily policed Kafr Sousa neighbourhood, killing at least seven people.
Reuters
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments