In pictures: Damascus car bomb

An car bomb has exploded in a southern suburb of the Syrian capital, Damascus, leaving at least 17 people dead.

The blast, which struck close to a security post and an important Shia shrine, injured a further 14 people.

State media broadcast pictures showing the extent of the damage, as officials said the death toll could rise.

Witnesses reported hearing a noise like an earthquake, while nearby windows were shattered.

All of the dead and wounded were civilians, and some children were reported to have been caught up in the blast.

Shops, businesses, homes and a nearby school were damaged by the blast.

Explosions of this kind are rare in Syria, which prides itself on being an island of stability in a turbulent region.

Local people were said to be shocked by the attack, which the Syrian interior minister described as a "cowardly terrorist act".

Bassam Abdul-Majid said investigations were under way which would "lead us to the perpetrators".