DAMASCUS (AP) — A Syrian official says 17 people, including 10 children, have been killed in twin explosions near a school in the central city of Homs.

The explosions took place as children were leaving school at the end of classes on Wednesday in a neighborhood dominated by minority Alawites, a Shiite offshoot sect that President Bashar Assad also belongs to.

It was the deadliest strike to hit the government-controlled area in months.

The official, who is from the Homs governorate, also says that at least 56 people were wounded in the blasts. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak to the media.

More From WIBX 950