At least 140 people have died after bomb blasts in Syria's capital Damascus and the city of Homs, world media outlets report.

In the capital Damascus, at least 83 people, including several school children, lost their lives on Sunday after several explosions near a Shia shrine, according to State TV.

The Islamic State (IS) group claimed to be behind the attack, according to Al Jazeera.

An earlier attack in Homs resulted in the death of at least 62 people, with some 110 more wounded, after explosions of car bombs.

Separately, Russian agency Interfax reports US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov discussed the developments in Syria over the phone.

The two top diplomats talked about the forthcoming cessation of hostilities agreed in Munich earlier in February.

Friday was the initial deadline for the agreement to be implemented, but some Syrian opposition groups say they will observed it only if the forces of President Bashar al-Assad do likewise.

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