Syria: deadly attack on a bus in Damascus

The attack on Wednesday is an exceptional fact and constitutes a breach in the security system deployed in the Syrian capital and its periphery (illustrative image).

AFP

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At least 13 people, mostly soldiers, were killed and three others were injured in an attack on a bus in the heart of Damascus.

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With our correspondent in Beirut,

Two bombs exploded when a bus carrying soldiers passed under a bridge in Damascus.

The blasts echoed across much of the Syrian capital.

A third explosive device was discovered and defused by army fireworks, according to the official Syrian agency Sana.

The Syrian authorities did not say whether it was a suicide attack or a remotely operated bomb.

Images released by local media show a bus that was completely charred after the emergency services and firefighters intervened.

A breach in the security system

Since Syrian government troops regained control of Damascus and its suburbs about three years ago, relative calm has reigned and attacks are rare.

The most recent took place a year ago, when the Sunni mufti of Damascus province,

was killed in a bomb blast placed in his vehicle.

But this attack had taken place in Qoudsaya, a close suburb of Damascus.

The attack on Wednesday is therefore an exceptional fact and constitutes a breach in the security system deployed in the Syrian capital and its periphery. 

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