In a statement on Thursday night, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kanaani vehemently condemned the terrorist explosion in the Sayyidah Zaynab region in the suburbs of Damascus on Tasua and during the mourning season for Imam Hussein (AS), which led to the martyrdom and injury of a number of civilians, including women and children.
He also offered condolences to the Syrian government and people as well as the families of the victims, saying, “In a situation where the innocent Syrian people are suffering from the cruel sanctions of the United States and some Western countries, and amid the painful silence of the international community, terrorist groups supported by the Zionist regime and the United States are also committing such heinous crimes.
“Considering the many years of the Syrian government and nation’s battle against terrorism, it is appropriate for the world community and international organizations to take immediate and effective measures to secure a removal of the unilateral and brutal sanctions imposed by the US and the West against Syria and dispatch humanitarian aid to this country, in addition to condemning any aggression against Syria, including the aggressive attacks of the Zionist regime and the recent terrorist blasts in the country,” he added, the Foreign Ministry’s website reported.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack which came on the eve of Ashura.
The shrine of Sayyidah Zaynab – the granddaughter of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and sister of Hussein ibn Ali (AS) – is a site of mass pilgrimage for Shiite Muslims from across the world.
It was the second attack this week near the shrine. Two people were wounded in a separate blast on Tuesday.
The terrorist group Daesh (ISIL or ISIS) has claimed some previous attacks on the site. One attack in 2017 killed at least 40 people.