At least 17 people been killed by a car bomb in the Syrian capital Damascus, according to state television.
A further 14 people, all of them civilians, are reported to have been wounded in the blast.
Syria's Dunia television said a car packed with 200 kilograms of explosives was detonated close to a security installation.
Witnesses say security forces have cordoned off the area, which is close to an important Shia shrine.
"Investigations by the Terrorism Combating Unit are under way to identify the attackers," the TV station reported.
Explosions are rare in Syria, which is tightly controlled by the ruling party.
This is believed to be the first such incident since a senior Hezbollah leader was killed in a car bomb in February.
In August, a senior military official close to President Bashar al-Assad was shot dead at a beach resort near the port city of Tartus.
Brig Gen Mohammed Suleiman had responsibility for sensitive security issues and was described as Syria's "main interlocutor" in a UN inquiry into alleged Syrian nuclear activity.
On Friday, the director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Mohamed ElBaradei, said Mr Suleiman's death would delay the inquiry.
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(BBC)
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