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Syria conflict: Damascus twin bombing kills 40 Iraqis | |
(35 minutes later) | |
A twin bomb attack in Syria's capital, Damascus, has killed 40 Iraqis and wounded 120, Iraq's government says. | |
The attack was near the Bab al-Saghir cemetery, which houses Shia mausoleums, with those targeted said to be pilgrims arriving by bus. | |
Sunni militants often target Shias but attacks in the capital are uncommon. | |
A nationwide truce brokered by Russia, Turkey and Iran took effect on 30 December after talks in Kazakhstan, but sporadic attacks continue. | A nationwide truce brokered by Russia, Turkey and Iran took effect on 30 December after talks in Kazakhstan, but sporadic attacks continue. |
There have been two rounds of talks, with another planned next week. | There have been two rounds of talks, with another planned next week. |
Damascus is mostly under the control of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, but rebel groups are present in outlying districts of the city. | Damascus is mostly under the control of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, but rebel groups are present in outlying districts of the city. |
It is not yet clear who was behind the latest attack, which Iraqi foreign ministry spokesman Ahmed Jamal called a "criminal terrorist operation". | |
Images showed blood stains on the ground near several damaged buses. | |
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said a roadside bomb blew up as a bus passed and a suicide bomber also detonated explosives. | |
A double suicide bombing in the Kafr Sousa district of the capital in January killed at least 10 people. | A double suicide bombing in the Kafr Sousa district of the capital in January killed at least 10 people. |
Former al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat Fateh al-Sham said it was behind that attack. | Former al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat Fateh al-Sham said it was behind that attack. |
The group is excluded from the peace talks and its mainly north-western bases have been regularly targeted by the Syrian army and its Russian allies. | The group is excluded from the peace talks and its mainly north-western bases have been regularly targeted by the Syrian army and its Russian allies. |
So-called Islamic State is another Sunni extremist group that controls significant areas of Syria. Its Iraqi stronghold of Mosul is currently under attack from Iraqi government forces and their allies. | |
More than 300,000 people have been killed and 11 million others displaced since the uprising against President Assad began in March 2011. | More than 300,000 people have been killed and 11 million others displaced since the uprising against President Assad began in March 2011. |
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