Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham Claims Responsibility for Damascus Explosions

A group called 'Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham' has claimed responsibility for the explosions near Shiite shrines. The number of victims from the explosions has reached 74. The casualties from the explosions on March 12th near a shrine that is one of the Shiite pilgrimage sites in Damascus have nearly doubled, reaching 74. Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham stated that the explosions on Saturday targeted 'Iran-backed militants in Syria.' The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, based in London, announced on Sunday that among the victims, 54 were civilians and 20 were security forces. According to this organization, most of the deceased were Iraqi citizens who had gone to the pilgrimage sites in the old part of Damascus for religious ceremonies. Rami Abdulrahman, the director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told AFP that one of the explosions was a roadside bomb that detonated as a bus carrying pilgrims passed through Bab al-Saghir. After that, a suicide bomber detonated himself among the crowd. The victims of these attacks, which are considered among the deadliest recent incidents in the Syrian capital, were initially reported to be at least 40, a number that has nearly doubled. Meanwhile, dozens of others were injured in the explosions, with some in critical condition, and the death toll may continue to rise. Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham began its activities in January of this year. Reuters reports that this group was formed from the merger of the al-Nusra Front (al-Qaeda's former branch) and several other militia groups involved in the Syrian civil war. According to Reuters, this new coalition includes some of the 'most extremist' individuals engaged with the Syrian army and its supporters. Shiite shrines have previously been targeted by groups such as al-Qaeda and its branches or the group known as the 'Islamic State.' The Bab al-Saghir cemetery is located in a historic and ancient part of Damascus, near one of the main gates of the Syrian capital. Shiites believe this cemetery is the burial place of several descendants of the Imams and some companions of the Prophet of Islam.