Amid Shaky Start to Syria Talks, ISIS-Claimed Blast Kills 45

A triple bombing claimed by the extremist Islamic State group killed at least 45 people near the Syrian capital of Damascus on Sunday, overshadowing an already shaky start to what are meant to be indirect Syria peace talks.
Amid Shaky Start to Syria Talks, ISIS-Claimed Blast Kills 45
Syrian pro-government forces and residents gather at the site of suicide bombings in the area of a revered Shiite shrine in the town of Sayyida Zeinab, on the outskirts of the capital Damascus, on Jan. 31, 2016. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the bombings that killed at least 45 people. (Louai Beshara/AFP/Getty Images)
The Associated Press
1/31/2016
Updated:
1/31/2016

GENEVA—A triple bombing claimed by the extremist Islamic State (ISIS) killed at least 45 people near the Syrian capital of Damascus on Sunday, overshadowing an already shaky start to what are meant to be indirect Syria peace talks.

Syria’s state news agency SANA said that the blasts went off in Sayyda Zeinab, a predominantly Shiite Muslim suburb of the Syrian capital. SANA said attackers detonated a car bomb at a bus stop and that two suicide bombers set off more explosives as rescuers rushed to the area.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition group that monitors both sides of the conflict through a network of activists inside Syria, said at least 47 people were killed in the explosions, and that the death toll was expected to rise because a number of people were seriously wounded.

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A delegation of the main opposition group said it will not take part in the indirect talks until its demands are met, including lifting the siege imposed on rebel-held areas and an end to Russian and Syrian bombardment of regions controlled by opposition fighters.

“It’s the duty of the responsibility of members of the Security Council to put the pressure on Russia to stop these crimes in Syria,” opposition spokesman Salem al-Mislet told The Associated Press on Sunday.

“It’s enough killing our children, killing civilians. They pretend to fight terrorism. In fact they don’t fight terrorism because they bring terrorism there and ISIS is spreading in many areas in Syria more than before because of these Russian strikes,” al-Mislet said.

The opposition delegation is to meet with de Mistura later Sunday, al-Mislet said.

Meanwhile, a senior Syrian official said President Bashar Assad’s government will “never accept” the inclusion in the peace talks of two militant groups it considers terrorists.

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While virtually all parties agree that both ISIS and the al-Qaida-affiliated Nusra Front should be excluded, the two sides are divided over Ahrar al-Sham and the Army of Islam. The mainstream opposition views both groups as fellow rebels, despite their ideological differences, while the Syrian government and its close ally Russia view them as extremists.

“We will neither sit down directly with terrorists, nor have dialogue with them,” Syrian Information Minister Omar al-Zoubi told state TV Saturday evening.