IS claims responsibility for deadly bomb attack in Syria

Islamic State has said it was behind a bombing south of the Syrian capital Damascus the day before that killed at least six people and wounded 20.

Friday's announcement came a day after an explosion hit near the Sayeda Zeinab mausoleum in Damascus, Syria's most visited Shia site, on the eve of the annual Ashura commemoration.

In a statement on the Telegram messaging app, the terror group said some of its fighters breached tight security imposed by the Syrian regime and militias guarding the mausoleum area.

It said, "they were able to park and detonate a motorcycle bomb ... during a gathering of Shia pilgrims".

'Another bomb attack'

The authorities had tightened security measures around the mausoleum for the 10-day Ashura commemoration.

In the same message on Friday, Islamic State claimed "another bomb attack" it said had targeted "a bus transporting Shia Muslims in the same area, wounding at least two and destroying the vehicle".

On Tuesday, an explosion in a car in the same area of the Syrian capital had wounded two civilians, official media cited a security official as saying.

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