IS claims police station suicide bombings in Damascus

The Islamic State (IS) group has claimed responsibility for the bombings targeting a police station in the capital Damascus on Monday, pro-government al-Watan online daily reported Tuesday.

According to the report, IS said three of its militants blew themselves up, two inside the police department in the central Midan neighborhood, and one outside the facility.

As many as 17 were killed by the bombings targeting the police station in Midan.

Footage broadcast by the Ekhbariah TV showed smoke in the area as well as ambulances and firefighters with medics carrying the wounded on the stretchers.

Damascus has enjoyed relative peace in recent months, but explosions still rock from time to time, while Midan in the city has been the target of several bombings during the country's over-six-year war.

The same police station in the neighborhood was targeted last December when a suicide seven-year-old girl blew up inside the station. The blast appeared to be remotely detonated by al-Qaeda-linked groups.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)