Car bomb in south Damascus causes casualties - Syrian Observatory

BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said a car bomb exploded on Monday in a southern district of Damascus which is home to Syria's holiest Shi'ite Muslim shrine, with initial reports of casualties. The British-based monitoring group said the blast took place near a checkpoint used by the Syrian army and its allies. There was no immediate mention of the blast on Syrian state media, which normally reports bomb attacks in government-held areas. The area has been targeted several times by deadly bombings this year, most recently in June with an attack claimed by Islamic State. The Observatory said initial reports indicated there were no civilian casualties on Monday. The Sayeda Zeinab shrine is a magnet for thousands of Iraqi and Afghan Shi'ite militia recruits who go there before being sent to frontlines, where they fight against Sunni rebel groups trying to topple President Bashar al-Assad. (Reporting by John Davison; Editing by Toby Chopra)