At least twelve people were killed and 55 other injured in a double bombing near the Syrian capital on Saturday.

The attacks occurred ten kilometers south of Damascus near the Sayyidah Zaynab shrine, the holiest Shia shrine in Syria which contains the grave of one of the granddaughters of Prophet Muhammad.

In an online post, Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the attack. IS said that the attacks were carried out by three militants, two of whom were carrying suicide belts and one with a car bomb.

Firstly, they carried out a suicide attack at the entrance of the district, followed by detonation of a car bomb not far from the shrine.

There were a number of women and children among the casualties, with the death toll expected to rise.

Although the shrine is heavily guarded by Syrian government forces, it has been the target of several attacks.

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