BEIRUT (Reuters) - Islamic State said three of its fighters carried out an attack on a Damascus police station on Monday in which 17 people were reportedly killed.

In a statement distributed on an Islamic State channel via the Telegram messaging service on Tuesday, the jihadist group said two of the fighters fired shots in the station before blowing themselves up. The third blew himself up later as “reinforcements” arrived.

Pro-Damascus newspaper al-Watan said 17 people were killed in the attack in the al-Midan neighborhood of Damascus, the first of its kind in the capital since July. The Syrian government has not issued a casualty toll.