Several civilians were killed in a town south of Damascus on Wednesday after a car bomb exploded, Syrian state television reported.
The car, packed with explosive devices, was stationed near the Amari Mosque in Kanaker, according to Reuters.
The British based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights added that activists reported the deaths of at least 13 people, including women, children and 10 policemen.
Kanaker is currently under the control of troops loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad, but according to the Observatory, rebel groups who oppose Assad's regime surround the town.
The provinces surrounding Damascus have witnessed intense fighting since the outbreak of the two-year-old conflict, which began as peaceful, pro-democracy protests against Assad in 2011.
According to UN and NGO estimates, some 100,000 people have died in the conflict, which is becoming increasingly more sectarian and brutal.
Assad's forces, spurred on by a series of recent battleground victories, have staved off rebel advances near Damascus and further south of the capital, in areas near the Jordanian border. Insurgents have used car bombs to target areas they are not able to push into with ground forces
