BEIRUT – The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) said on Friday it was behind a bombing south of the Syrian capital Damascus the day before that killed at least six people and wounded 20.

Thursday’s explosion was near the Sayeda Zeinab mausoleum in Damascus, Syria’s most visited Shi’ite pilgrimage site, and came on the eve of the annual Shi’ite Ashura commemoration.

In a statement on the Telegram messaging app, the Islamic militant 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”.

The authorities had tightened security measures around the mausoleum for the 10-day Ashura commemoration, among the most important in Shi’ite Islam.

In the same message on Friday, ISIS claimed “another bomb attack” it said had targeted “a bus transporting Shi’ite pilgrims 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.

Shi’ite shrines are a frequent target of attacks by the Sunni Muslim militant group, ISIS, not only in Syria but also in neighbouring Iraq. AFP