Syria foils bus bombing amid security fragility in Damascus

Damascus (ANTARA) - Syrian authorities claimed on Friday that they had thwarted an attempt to bomb a passenger bus on the outskirts of Damascus, the latest security incident in a series of events that have shaken the capital and its surrounding areas in recent days.

State-run Syrian television channel, al-Ichnariya TV, reported that security forces discovered an explosive device planted inside a bus in the al-Wurud area, northwest of Damascus, before it could detonate. Engineering teams successfully defused and evacuated the device without causing any damage.

The bombing attempt occurred after three security personnel were injured in an attack on Friday at a checkpoint in Jaramana, on the outskirts of Damascus. According to the Syrian news agency, SANA, two men riding a motorcycle were stopped for a routine identity check before one of them threw two hand grenades at security personnel, resulting in injuries to three officers. Authorities have not yet announced whether the suspects have been arrested.

On Thursday (2/7), a bombing incident at a cafe near the Palace of Justice in central Damascus killed nine people and injured 20 others. Domestic authorities described the incident as a terrorist attack involving an improvised explosive device weighing approximately 1 kilogram and filled with metal fragments. Forensic teams are currently reviewing CCTV footage and interviewing witnesses, authorities stated.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the three incidents, and authorities have not indicated whether the attacks are linked. These consecutive incidents occur as Syrian authorities continue their efforts to maintain stability following the political transition that followed the collapse of the previous government in late 2024.