At least 40 people were killed and dozens more wounded in an attack by two suicide bombers in Damascus on Saturday, Hezbollah’s al-Manar TV reported, in an attack the Syrian Observatory said targeted Shia pilgrims.

The attack took place near the Old City of Damascus. Al-Mayadeen, a Lebanon-based TV station, said the bombings targeted buses transporting pilgrims to the Bab al-Saghir cemetery near one of the seven gates of the Old City of Damascus.

Syrian state news agency SANA said the attack had caused fatalities but gave no toll. It said the explosions were caused by “two terrorist bombs”.</s>Twin bombs targeting Shiite pilgrims killed 59 people, mostly Iraqis visiting a shrine, in Damascus on Saturday, a monitoring group said.

The attack is one the bloodiest in the Syrian capital.

The twin blasts Saturday hit outside Bab al-Saghir cemetery, one of the most ancient in the Syrian capital and which houses revered Shiite religious figures.

Reports said that among those killed were 47 pilgrims and 12 Syrian pro-government fighters.

Levant Swords rebel group has reportedly claimed the responsibility of the double bombing attack on buses of Shia pilgrims parked outside the cemetery.

Ahmed Jamal, Iraq's foreign ministry spokesman, says in a statement initial reports suggest 40 killed were Iraqis. He said a crisis cell was formed in coordination with Syrian authorities to determine the identities of those killed and wounded and to transfer them to Iraq. The statement condemned the attacks.

Syrian Interior Minister Mohammad Shaar said the attack targeted "pilgrims of various Arab nationalities" adding that "the sole aim was to kill."

There have been periodic attacks in Damascus during the six years of civil war in Syria, but the stronghold of President Bashar al-Assad has largely been spared the destruction faced by other major cities.

Levant Swords group is allied with the rebels' Free Syrian Army (FSA), which is operating in areas in the southern countryside of Damascus, Xinhua cited Mayadeen TV as saying.

Meanwhile, the pro-government al-Watan online newspaper said that the bomb squads succeeded to defuse bombs mounted on a motorcycle that was supposed to go off in that area as well.</s>The death toll from a twin bomb attack targeting a Shi'ite pilgrimage site in Damascus has climbed to 74, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on March 12.

The monitoring group said the dead included 54 civilians and 20 security personnel.

Most of those who died in the March 11 attack were Iraqi pilgrims who had come to the Syrian capital to visit Shi'ite shrines in Damascus's famed Old City.

Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman told the AFP news agency that a roadside bomb went off as a bus carrying pilgrims made its way through the Bab al-Saghir area of the Old City before a suicide bomber blew himself up.

The attack has left dozens of people wounded and some of them are still in critical condition, the observatory said.

There has been no claim of responsibility for the attack.

Syria's state news agency SANA said 40 people were killed and around 120 others wounded by "two bombs detonated by terrorists."

Shi'ite shrines are a frequent target for Sunni extremist groups, such as Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State both in Syria and Iraq.

The Sayyida Zeinab mausoleum, Syria's most visited Shi'ite pilgrimage site, has been hit by several deadly bombings during the country's civil war.

Based on reporting by AFP, dpa, and Reuters</s>Transcript for Deadly twin bomb attacks in Syria kill at least 40 people

And overseas tonight, the deadly twin bomb attacks in Syria, explosions ripping through the center of Damascus, at least 40 people killed. 120 wounded. The attacks targeting holy sites. Here's Jennifer Eccleston. Reporter: The bloody debris from the blasts litter the streets of Damascus. Buses riddled with shrapnel, a mangled wheelchair among the wreckage. The attackers striking Shiite tourists from Iraq, visiting a holy site. At least 40 are dead. More than 100 injured. This Iraqi lucky to be alive. "We finished the visit and then the explosions happened," he says. People near me were all killed. No one has yet to claim responsibility. But ISIS has attacked shia -- Shiite she rinse in the Syrian capital before. More than 60 people died in a bombing last year. Damascus is Syrian president bashar Al Assad's power base. These attacks may only serve to further embolden terrorist organizations in the region, Rebecca. Jennifer, thank you.</s>The toll from twin bombings targeting Shiite pilgrims in the centre of Damascus has risen to 74 dead, a monitor said on Sunday.

Among the victims of Saturday's blasts were 43 Iraqi pilgrims who had come to the Syrian capital to visit Shiite shrines in Damascus's famed Old City, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The Britain-based monitor said that 11 bystanders and eight children were among those killed, as well as 20 members of pro-government security forces.

Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP that a roadside bomb detonated as a bus carrying pilgrims made its way through the Bab al-Saghir area of the Old City before a suicide bomber blew himself up.

Syrian state television on Saturday gave a toll of 40 killed and 120 wounded by "two bombs detonated by terrorists".

Iraq's foreign ministry said around 40 of its nationals had died.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack.

Shiite shrines are a frequent target for Sunni extremists of Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group (IS), not only in Syria but also in neighbouring Iraq.

The Sayyida Zeinab mausoleum to the south of Damascus, Syria's most visited Shiite pilgrimage site, has been hit by several deadly bombings during the war.

Twin suicide bombings in the high-security Kafr Sousa district of the capital in January killed 10 people, eight of them soldiers.

That attack was claimed by former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front.</s>BEIRUT (AP) - Twin explosions Saturday near religious shrines frequented by Shiite pilgrims in the Syrian capital Damascus killed at least 40 people, Syria's interior minister and media reported.

 

 Syria State TV aired footage from the scene showing blood-soaked streets and several damaged buses in a parking lot, apparently where the explosions went off near Bab al-Saghir cemetery. The cemetery is one of the capital's most ancient and is where several prominent religious figures are buried.

 

 Interior Minister Mohammed al-Shaar visited the injured in local hospitals. He said 40 were killed and 120 were injured. He said the attacks targeted civilians, including Arab visitors, who were frequenting the shrines in the area. He didn't elaborate, but Iraqi Shiites often visit shrines in Syria. Iranians and other Shiites from Asia are often also among the pilgrims to the area.

 

 There were conflicting reports on what caused the explosions. State news agency SANA said the blasts were caused by bombs placed near the cemetery and that at least 33 were killed and more than a hundred wounded.

 

 Lebanon's al-Manar TV quoted Syrian officials saying twin suicide attacks killed 40. Arab TV Al-Mayadeen said at least 40 were killed, and the area was sealed by security after the explosions.

 

 Britain-based Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition monitoring group with activists on the ground, said at least 46 were killed in the explosions that targeted buses arriving near the cemetery. The Observatory said the death toll is likely higher because dozens were wounded.

 

 A similar attack in Damascus last year targeted one of the most revered Shiite shrines and was claimed by the Islamic State militants.

 

 Bab al-Saghir is one of the seven gates of the old city of Damascus and houses a cemetery where a number of early Islam religious figures, including family members of Prophet Muhammad and figures revered by Shiites, are buried.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>The blasts occurred near the Bab al-Saghir cemetery in the Old City. The Syrian authorities classified the explosions as a terrorist attack, according to SANA news agency. Iran's Press TV said the death toll has climbed to 40. Over 100 people were wounded.

A Syrian security source told Sputnik most of the wounded persons had been hospitalized and were undergoing treatment. Some messages suggested the blasts targeted a number of Shiite pilgrims from Iraq.

The Bab al-Saghir is an important Shiite site as it contains the remains of those killed in the Battle of Karbala between the Umayyads and supporters of Husayn ibn Ali, the third Shiite imam.

On Friday, militants fired a rocket at Damascus. It inflicted damage on infrastructure.

Since 2011, Syria has been engulfed in a civil war, with government forces fighting against numerous opposition and terrorist groups, including al-Nusra Front and Daesh, banned in a range of countries, including Russia.</s>Twin explosions Saturday near religious shrines frequented by Shiite pilgrims in the Syrian capital Damascus killed at least 40 people, Arab media and activists reported.

Syria State TV aired footage from the scene showing blood-soaked streets and several damaged buses in a parking lot, apparently where the explosions went off near Bab al-Saghir cemetery. The cemetery is one of the capital's most ancient and is where several prominent religious figures are buried.

There were conflicting reports on what caused the explosions. State news agency SANA said 33 were killed in the explosions and more than a hundred wounded in the blasts caused by bombs placed near the cemetery.

Lebanon's al-Manar TV quoted Syrian officials saying 40 were killed in twin suicide attacks. Arab TV Al-Mayadeen said at least 40 were killed even though the area was under tight security.

Britain-based Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition monitoring group with activists on the ground, said at least 44 were killed in the explosions that targeted buses arriving near the cemetery. The Observatory said the death toll is likely higher because dozens were wounded.

A similar attack in the capital targeted one of the most revered Shiite shrine in the capital last year and was claimed by the Islamic State militants.</s>People inspect the damage of today's horrific attack in Damascus

It is not yet clear which group was behind the attack, but it is believed to have been 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.</s>DAMASCUS (Sputnik) — Earlier in the day, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry said that that about 40 Iraqi citizens had been killed and over 100 injured as a result of a twin blast in the Syrian capital. According to the ministry, Iraqis were visiting the sacred tombs in the Bab al-Saghir district.

"The United Nations has expressed regret over the killing of innocent people in Damascus al-Shagur quarter as a result of the blast conducted by terrorists today in the morning, which left 40 civilians dead and a many injured," Zatari said.

The civil war in Syria has been lasting for around six years with government troops fighting against numerous opposition factions and terror organizations such as al-Nusra Front and Daesh, outlawed in Russia.
Twin bombings kill at least 40 people, mostly Shia Iraqi pilgrims, and wound over 100 in the Bab al-Saghir area of Damascus.