Bomb blast on Damascus minibus kills 2, injures 13: State media

Syrian state media reported on Thursday that an explosive device detonated aboard a passenger minibus in Jaramana, a suburb of Damascus, killing two people and injuring 13 others as security forces launched an investigation into the cause of the blast.

State-run Al-Ikhbariya TV initially reported the explosion without providing casualty figures, while the official Syrian Arab News Agency later cited the Health Ministry's Referral, Ambulance and Emergency Directorate as confirming the death toll. Najib al-Naasan, director of the directorate, said forensic teams were handling human remains at the scene in accordance with established procedures, adding that nearby hospitals and emergency departments had been placed on high alert.

Investigation ongoing

Ambulances, Interior Ministry forensic teams, Civil Defense personnel and Syrian Arab Red Crescent crews continued working at the site, with the damaged minibus being removed by crane to allow technical examinations to proceed, according to SANA. Images circulating on social media showed the heavily damaged vehicle with debris scattered across the road and in front of nearby residential buildings.

The cause of the explosion remained unclear and no group had immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. Al-Ikhbariya TV noted that the blast occurred in the multi-ethnic city shortly after local sheikhs and community leaders issued a statement reaffirming Syria's unity and rejecting calls that could undermine civil peace.