A bomb killed 18 people in the Damascus suburb of Jaramana on Tuesday, the latest in spate of blasts to hit the district, state television said.

A bomb killed 18 people in the Damascus suburb of Jaramana on Tuesday, the latest in spate of blasts to hit the district, state television said.

The car bomb in the suburb's Siouf square also wounded 56 people, the broadcaster said. It said children were among the dead.

The explosion struck at around 7:15 pm (1615 GMT), when traffic was heavy as Muslims headed home for the "Iftar" meal that breaks the daylight fast observed during the holy month of Ramadan.

State television aired footage of wrecked shop fronts around the square and dozens of burned out vehicles.

A similar bombing in the same square on July 25 killed at least seven people and wounded more than 60.

In August last year, another car bomb killed at least 27 people in the southeastern suburb.