ISIS Bombs Homs, Damascus, Over 160 Killed

Damascus Attacks Around Key Shi'ite Shrine

On Sunday, ISIS carried out major bombing attacks in Shi’ite districts in the Syrian city of Homs as well as a key suburb of the capital city of Damascus, killing in excess of 160 people and wounding at least 170 others. The toll is expected to rise further.

The bombs in Damascus suburb of Sayeda Zeinab, the home of an important Shi’ite shrine, centered around a vegetable market. The shrine, about half a mile away, was not damaged, but at least 71 people were confirmed to have been killed.

ISIS reported that there were four bombs in the Sayeda Zeinab attack, with two of them car bombs remotely detonated and the other two suicide bombers. They also say both Homs bombs were car bombs.

The death toll in Homs remains somewhat unclear, with 57 killed and 100 wounded in the initial report, and subsequent suggestions that the death toll had risen further. This was reportedly the single largest coordinated attack in Homs in the entire five year war.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.