At least six people have been killed and more than 20 wounded after a bomb exploded near a Shia Muslim shrine south of the Syrian capital Damascus a day ahead of Ashura – a day of mourning observed by Shia Muslims, according to the interior ministry.

The blast near the Sayeda Zeinab mausoleum, Syria’s most visited Shia pilgrimage site, was caused when a motorcycle exploded near a taxi, the interior ministry said on Thursday. It called it a “terrorist bombing”.

State television earlier reported that the explosion was caused by a “bomb placed in a taxi by unidentified people”.

Al Jazeera was not able to independently verify the casualty figures and the circumstances around the blast.

“We heard a huge blast and people began to run,” 39-year-old civil servant Ibrahim told AFP news agency.

“Then ambulances arrived and security forces cordoned off the area.”