Zainabiyya of Damascus; On the Frontline of War

The Zainabiyya area in the southern suburbs of Damascus has become a bloody symbol of the Syrian civil war; jihadist Sunnis attack it, and it serves as a significant motivation for mobilizing armed Shia groups. According to a report by AFP, this shrine is a holy site for Shia Muslims, and before the escalation of the civil war, tens of thousands of Shia from around the world would visit it annually. However, since the onset of the civil war, it has been at the center of bloody battles. According to statistics published by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, 120 people were killed in a series of bombings on Saturday in the Zainabiyya area, for which the Islamic State group claimed responsibility, with at least 90 of the victims being civilians and the others being members of the shrine's protective units. The Zainab shrine is located in a densely populated neighborhood 10 kilometers south of Damascus. Shia belief holds that this shrine was built on the site where Zainab, the granddaughter of the Prophet Muhammad, was held captive by the Sunni caliph after her brothers were killed in Karbala. Despite the civil war, Shia from Lebanon, Iran, and Iraq continue to visit this shrine. The shrine, which was rebuilt and restored in 1990, features a golden dome and two minarets, with most of the building's facade decorated with blue tiles. This neighborhood has always been one of the main battlegrounds between government forces and Syrian rebels, and its protection justifies the participation of Shia fighters from other countries, especially Iraq and Lebanon, in the Syrian civil war alongside government forces. Since the early days of the civil war, Hezbollah has justified sending troops and fighting alongside the Syrian army under the pretext of protecting this shrine. The majority of Syria's population is Sunni, but power has been held by the Alawite minority, a branch of Shia Islam, for the past half-century. As the Syrian civil war has dragged on and Sunni jihadist groups have gained power, Shia have become more frequent targets of attacks as extremist groups consider Shia to be infidels. The area surrounding the Zainab shrine is heavily guarded by Syrian security forces. They prevent vehicles from approaching the shrine by establishing numerous checkpoints throughout the area. However, despite this, the neighborhood has been attacked multiple times. On January 31, 2016, bombings claimed by the Islamic State group resulted in at least 70 deaths and dozens of injuries. About a year earlier, in February 2015, two suicide bombings near a checkpoint close to the shrine killed at least four people. In the same month, an explosion next to a bus carrying Lebanese pilgrims, for which al-Nusra Front claimed responsibility, killed nine pilgrims. In October 2012, another attack resulted in at least six deaths. In June of the same year, a bomb explosion damaged part of the shrine's building. In September 2008, before the start of the Syrian civil war, a bomb explosion in a vehicle killed 17 people in the neighborhood surrounding the shrine. In this context, over 140 people have been killed in explosions in Syria. The attacks in Zainabiyya, Damascus left 68 dead and dozens injured. The European Union stated that the aim of the Zainabiyya attacks is to disrupt peace talks. The death toll from the explosions in Zainabiyya, Damascus has risen to '71 dead'. Three explosions in Damascus left at least 45 dead. A bomb explosion in Zainabiyya, Damascus left several dead and dozens injured. Conflicting reports about the Iranian bus incident in Damascus. The changing battlefield of 'proxy wars'; war against the people in the streets of Iran. The first paragraph; the responsibility of the opposition and the possibility of radicalizing Iranian society. The death of the last Mossad representative in Tehran amid the Iran crisis. Trump: I hope there will be no need for further action regarding Iran; they were killing people recklessly. The shadow of war over Tehran; 'Trump is seeking decisive military options against Iran'. Trump says if the Islamic Republic carries out a terrorist act against him, 'it will be wiped off the face of the earth'. Trump emphasizes 'stopping executions in Iran': we do not know what will happen in the future. A senior U.S. official: The Trump administration is closely monitoring the case of Reza Valizadeh.