This was the most brutal attack on Damascus for many years. It also came as a rare occurrence since 2018 when government troops captured suburbs held by rebels during Syria’s decade-long conflict.
The attack was described by state media as a roadside bombing. An unnamed Syrian military officer claimed that the explosions were the result of bombs that were attached to the vehicle’s outside. The official stated that a third bomb was also dropped from the bus, and was destroyed by troops following the initial explosions.
Although no one has claimed responsibility immediately for the attack however, insurgents or jihadists remain within the borders of the country and seek to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad.
It was not clear if the bombs had been detonated at a distance or when they were set to go off. According to state media, the bombs were detonated shortly before 7:01 a.m. local. It wasn’t immediately clear if all those who died were passengers on buses.
Near a bus transfer point, the explosion occurred at a busy intersection in Damascus. It was located under President’s Bridge. Commuters converge to head out to various parts of the capital or its suburbs.
Syrian state TV showed footage showing the charred bus and said that the blasts took place as people were heading to school and work. The extinguished bus was visible rising from the water as soldiers cleaned it. There was a puddle of water under the bridge where photos of Assad were displayed on the walls. As traffic returned to normal, many people gathered at the bridge to observe.
Workers cleared the area of the explosion within an hour, and the bus that was destroyed by the blast was taken away.
“It’s a cowardly act,” Maj. Gen. Hussein Jumaa, Damascus police chief, stated to state TV. He added that a police force had immediately cordoned off the area and checked for any bombs. He encouraged people to report any suspicious objects they see to authorities.
Jumaa reported that one of the wounded died from his injuries on Wednesday, bringing the death toll up to 14.
After receiving military assistance from Russia and Iran, Assad’s forces now hold large parts of Syria. This is due to the fact that he has a lot of support from his allies Russia & Iran.
In 2017, a suicide bomber attacked a Damascus judicial office building, and a restaurant. Nearly 60 people were killed. These attacks were claimed by militants of the Islamic State group. Although the extremist group lost its territory in Syria in 2019, it still poses a threat to other cells that are hiding in Syria’s vast desert.
Some territories remain under the control of the armed opposition in the country’s north. There, U.S. troops and Turkish soldiers are also present.
The conflict in Syria that started in March 2011 left over 350,000 people dead, and half of the country’s population displaced. Five million Syrian refugees are also displaced by the conflict.
According to Syria’s state media, a short circuit caused an explosion in the gas tank at a bus carrying soldiers. One soldier was killed and three were injured.
