A car bomb killed up to 10 people on Sunday in the historic Christian quarter of Damascus on Sunday.
Another 15 were injured when the device was detonated at the gate of Bab Touma in the Old City.
A Christian resident by the name of George was quoted by The Telegraph as saying that the bomb exploded as people were heading to their churches for Sunday mass.
“I felt the explosion. The ground beneath me shook and I can see black smoke rising from the area," said George.
He added: “Terrorists are doing this.”
UN peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi has appealed to both sides in the conflict to cease fighting during this week's Muslim holidays.
He was in Damascus on Sunday for a meeting with President Bashar al-Assad when the bomb attack occurred.
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