Five people have been killed in Syria after two mortar shells exploded near the parliament building in central Damascus, state-run media have reported.

The SANA news agency said the mortars struck some 320ft from the parliament in the Salihiya area of the Syrian capital on Monday morning.

No-one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack but Syrian rebels often fire mortar shells into government-controlled areas of Damascus.

They say they are punishing pro-government forces for besieging areas controlled by the opposition, denying residents food, clean water and medical aid, and for dropping crude bombs on residential areas.

Mortar shells cannot be precisely targeted and often kill civilians.

Syria's conflict is now in its fourth year. It has killed more than 150,000 people and forced a third of the country's population from their homes.