Syria peace talks hit trouble after Damascus blast kills 60

Syria’s main opposition group met U.N. mediator Staffan de Mistura for the first time on Sunday, but the peace process ran straight into trouble after Islamic State bombers killed more than 60 people near the country’s holiest Shi’ite shrine. The head of the Syrian government delegation retorted that the blasts in Damascus, which the Interior […]

Syria’s main opposition group met U.N. mediator Staffan de Mistura for the first time on Sunday, but the peace process ran straight into trouble after Islamic State bombers killed more than 60 people near the country’s holiest Shi’ite shrine.
The head of the Syrian government delegation retorted that the blasts in Damascus, which the Interior Ministry blamed on a car bomb and two suicide bombers, merely confirmed the link between the opposition and terrorism – even though Islamic State has been excluded from the talks.
Islamic State claimed responsibility for Sunday’s attacks in the Sayeda Zeinab district of Damascus, according to Amaq, a news agency that supports the militant group.
Earlier the Interior Ministry had reported at least 45 dead and 110 people wounded.