A taxi bomb detonated in the Sayida Zeinab suburb of Damascus, close to a significant Shiite Muslim shrine, on Thursday, causing numerous casualties. The incident occurred just one day before Ashura, a major holy day for Shiite Muslims.

Syrian state television reported injuries from the blast but did not provide specific numbers. However, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, reported that the explosion resulted in around ten casualties, including fatalities and injuries. According to the Observatory, a woman was killed, and her three children were among the injured. The explosion occurred near areas controlled by Iranian militias, key allies of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Images circulating in pro-government media and on Al-Ikhbariya TV depicted the burned-out taxi amidst a crowd of people, including individuals in military uniforms. The area was decorated with Ashura flags and banners in green, red, and black. Videos on social media showed people carrying two blood-covered individuals from the scene, while nearby shops sustained damage, with shattered glass and at least one fire.

The Sayida Zeinab neighborhood is named after the shrine of Sayida Zeinab, the granddaughter of the Prophet Muhammad. This shrine has been a focal point for Shiite fighters supporting Assad since the early stages of the Syrian conflict, which evolved from an anti-government uprising into a sectarian civil war.

Ashura, observed on the 10th of Muharram, is a highly significant day of mourning for Shiite Muslims. It commemorates the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the Prophet Muhammad's grandson, and 72 of his companions in the 7th-century Battle of Karbala in modern-day Iraq.

This is the second explosion in the Sayida Zeinab area in the days leading up to Ashura. On Tuesday, Syrian state media reported two civilian injuries from a motorcycle bomb, according to a police official.