Syria: Damascus Blast Kills Several Near Shiite Shrine

Facts

• Syrian state media reported that a bomb exploded near the Sayeda Zeinab Shrine in the southern suburbs of the Syrian capital Damascus on Thursday, killing at least six people and wounding others. This was the second attack this week targeting the shrine. No group claimed responsibility for the attacks, though the Islamic State group (IS) has claimed previous attacks on the site.¹
• On Tuesday, Syrian state media reported that two civilians were wounded after a motorcycle lined with explosives was detonated near the shrine. Syrian media released photos of Thursday's blast showing a smoldering taxi surrounded by large crowds of people and men in military fatigues.²
• The Sayeda Zeinab Shrine is Syria's most visited Shiite pilgrimage site. The bombings came in the run-up to the Shiite holy day of Ashoura, in which Shiites mourn the death of Imam Hussein, the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson, in the Battle of Karbala, which is in present-day Iraq.³
• Syrian Health Minister Hassan al-Ghabash said in a statement that at least 46 people were wounded in the explosion and were either treated at the site itself or in nearby hospitals. Authorities initially said the bomb was hidden in a taxi, but later reported that the explosives were on the motorcycle.⁴
• The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the explosion occurred close to Iranian militia positions. Though this information is unconfirmed, the shrine served as a rallying cry and focal point for Iranian-backed Shiite militias fighting anti-government rebels in Syria's civil war.⁴
• The Observatory also reported that two additional non-Syrians were killed in Thursday's blast [with no other information given.]⁵

Sources: ¹Reuters, ²Al Arabiya English, ³Al Jazeera, ⁴ABC News, and ⁵Syriahr.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Middle East Institute. The war in Syria began when the Assad regime brutally cracked down on peaceful protesters calling for freedom and dignity, and his country continues to see instability due to his brutal dictatorship. Assad's country lies in ruin and violence continues — even in Damascus, which was cleared of rebel forces in 2018. Assad has taken his country to the brink.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by PressTV. This bombing was a heinous crime against Shiites and a clear example of the West's dirty war on Syria. While the US and its Western allies sanction the Syrian economy, starving the people, it also supports terrorists who continue to launch sectarian attacks against Shiites. This attack, as well as other attacks by the US and Israel, must be condemned.