A large car bomb struck the central Syrian city of Homs on Saturday, killing at least 16 people and wounding dozens, state media said.
The blast struck the city's Al-Zahraa neighbourhood, where most residents are Alawite, the same sect to which President Bashar al-Assad belongs.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 16 people were killed and dozens wounded, adding that some were in critical condition.
The Islamic State group in a statement said it was behind the attack, and said it consisted of a car bombing and a suicide bomber blowing himself up.
The vehicle used in the attack had been carrying at least 150 kilos (330 pounds) of explosives, Barazi added.
In its statement, IS named the bomber as Abu Ahmed al-Homsi, and said he parked the car and detonated it before then activating his explosives belt.
IS said the toll from the attack was more than 25 dead, with 70 wounded.
The monitoring group said a second blast was heard in the city, but its cause was unclear.
"The explosion was terrifying. Body parts were on the ground... It was one of the biggest explosions to hit Homs," a 28-year-old woman working in a neighbourhood coffee shop told AFP.