Syria reports blast in Damascus suburb, casualties

Syria's state-run news agency says an explosion has occurred in a suburb of the capital Damascus, causing casualties.

SANA says today's blast in Jaramana killed and wounded a number of people.

Rebels have previously targeted Jaramana, a Christian and Druse area mostly loyal to President Bashar Assad, with bombings and mortar rounds.

Assad has drawn support from Syria's ethnic and religious minorities, including Christians and members of his Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam.

The rebel movement is dominated by Sunni Muslims, who are a majority in Syria.

At least 100,000 Syrians have been killed in the country's civil war, now in its third year.