Damascus twin suicide attack Live Updates: Militants target al-Midan police station, 15 killed

It’s the first such attack in the Syrian capital since July.

At least 15 people including civilians and policemen were killed in a twin suicide attack at a police station in  Damascus on Monday, reported news agency Reuters. This is the first such attack in the Syrian capital since July, said the interior minister.  The attack was carried out by a group of four militants.

Militants targeted the station in the al-Midan neighborhood and clashed with police officers there. One attacker blew himself up at the main entrance and another detonated his explosive device on the first floor, he said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. Footage broadcast by state TV showed bodies wrapped in shrouds at the scene and firefighters putting out flames. Previous suicide attacks in Damascus have been claimed by both Islamic State and the Tahrir al-Sham jihadist alliance, which is led by the group formerly known as the Nusra Front.

Here are the Live Updates:

9:35 pm: The attack was carried out by four attackers, while one blew himself up at the entrance of the police station, another detonated on the first floor.

9:20 pm: Syrians Interior ministry says that the attack was in response to the major victories by the Syrian forces over ISIS occupied lands in the country.

8:55 pm: Syrian Interior Minister Mohammad al-Shaar says the blasts killed “a number of policemen and civilians” in the al-Midan neighbourhood.