Bus attack kills 18 Syrian soldiers in Damascus countryside

18 Syrian soldiers were killed and 27 others were wounded in a military bus explosion in Damascus countryside, the Syrian state agency SANA reported.

A military source told SANA that an explosive device attached to a military bus caused the death of 18 military personnel and the injury of 27 others.

 The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human rights (SOHR) said that the explosion took place in the Al-Sabourah area in Rif Dimashq, leaving “at least 17 people dead and several people injured.” The military bus was believed to be of the 4th Division of the Syrian Army.

The death toll is believed to rise due to the seriously injured, SOHR said.

Syrian authorities previously have blamed such attacks on ISIS (Islamic State) which has been active in southern and central Syria, despite losing territorial control in the country since 2019 but there was no immediate claim of responsibility for Thursday's attack and no comment from Syrian government.

In June, a bus attack claimed by the islamic militants killed 13 soldiers in the northern province of Raqqa.

 A rocket attack on a military bus in May killed 10 soldiers and wounded nine more in northwest Syria.