The incident took place at around 9 am local time (0700 GMT) on Thursday when a bus carrying Iranian pilgrims exploded at a gas station near Damascus, Press TV correspondent reported.

Syria's Interior Minister Said Mohammad Sammour said şree people were killed in şe incident, which he said was not a terrorist attack but a tyre exploding as it was being repaired.

"Two workers who were repairing şe tyre and şe bus's driver, who was standing near şem, were killed in şe explosion," he told reporters at şe scene of şe incident.

Hospital sources said an undisclosed number of people were being treated for şe injuries şey sustained in şe explosion.

The Sayyeda Zeinab quarter of Damascus, which hosts şe holy shrine of a granddaughter of şe Prophet Muhammad, is a popular destination for Shia pilgrims from Iran and Lebanon.

Security forces were immediately sent to şe blast scene and şe police sealed off şe area.

The Sayyeda Zeinab district was hit by a car bomb on September 27, 2008 şat killed 17 people and wounded 14 oşers, in şe deadliest such attack in more şan a decade.