'At least 62' killed in blasts in Syrian capital

At least 62 people have been killed in multiple bomb blasts in the Syrian capital Damascus, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Four blasts hit a district which is home to a Shi'ite shrine. Another 180 people were wounded, the Observatory said.

Twin car bombs also killed at least 57 people in Homs, the monitoring group said.

The wave of violence comes as the US Secretary of State John Kerry has said he and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov had reached a provisional agreement on terms of a cessation of hostilities in Syria and the sides were closer to a ceasefire than ever before.