3 weeks ago
Syria says minibus bomb near Damascus wounded 14, deaths mistaken
There was a big explosion in a town near Damascus in Syria.
A bomb hidden on a minibus went off.
Fourteen people were hurt.
At first, officials said two people had died.
Later, they said that was a mistake.
The body parts found at the scene belonged to people who were very badly hurt but still alive.
The driver of the minibus was hurt too and went to the hospital.
Nobody knows who put the bomb on the bus, and the authorities have not blamed anyone.
People who live there heard a very loud, strange noise and were scared for their families.
A bomb planted in a minibus wounded 14 people in Jaramana, a predominantly Druze area on the outskirts of Damascus, late on Thursday.
Officials initially reported two deaths, but the health ministry's media head said body parts found at the scene belonged to severely wounded people, not fatalities.
Authorities have not blamed anyone; a security source told state-run Ekhbariya TV that preliminary information indicated an explosive device was planted on the vehicle.
Witnesses described a strong, unnatural sound, and the minibus driver, Safouh, was among the wounded and treated at Mujtahid Hospital in Damascus.
The area has seen clashes between the Druze and Islamist militants backing the authorities that took power after the 2024 overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad.
- Who
- Fourteen people, including the minibus driver Safouh, were wounded; witnesses included Jaramana resident Samer Abbas and Bassel Imad, whose cousin was the driver.
- What
- An explosive device planted on a minibus detonated in Jaramana, wounding 14 people; authorities retracted initial reports of two deaths after body parts turned out to belong to the severely wounded.
- Where
- Jaramana, a predominantly Druze area on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria.
- When
- Thursday night, August 6, 2026; officials clarified the mistaken death reports on Friday.
- Why
- Unknown; authorities have not blamed anyone. The blast occurred amid clashes between the Druze and Islamist militants backing the authorities that took power after President Bashar al-Assad was overthrown in 2024.
Druze and local community perspectives
Authorities and their supporters
Integration of Druze after Assad's overthrow
Druze and local community perspectives
Some Druze factions have resisted integration efforts by the authorities, citing the July 2025 violence in Sweida province in which more than 1,700 people, most of them Druze civilians, were killed.
Authorities and their supporters
The authorities that took power after the 2024 overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad have pursued integration efforts with the Druze, with some Islamist militants backing the authorities; clashes between the Druze and these militants have occurred in the area.
Framing of the Jaramana bombing
Druze and local community perspectives
Residents described the bombing as 'sadistic' and 'very wicked,' and the blast hit a narrow street of shops and street vendors in an area already marked by Druze–Islamist militant clashes.
Authorities and their supporters
Authorities have not blamed anyone for the attack, saying only that preliminary information indicated an explosive device was planted on the vehicle.
Key facts
- People wounded
- 14
- Confirmed deaths
- None confirmed; initial reports of two deaths were mistaken
- Location
- Jaramana, a predominantly Druze area on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria
- Cause
- Explosive device planted on the minibus (preliminary information)
- Attack date
- Thursday night, August 6, 2026
- Perpetrator
- Not identified; authorities have blamed no one
- Context
- Clashes between Druze and Islamist militants backing post-Assad authorities
- Reporting
- Reuters
Quotes
Samer Abbas
Jaramana resident and shop owner witness
“"It was a strong, unnatural sound," he told Reuters. He added, "My blood dried up until I checked up on him, I saw him … until I heard his voice."”
theprint.in
Sources
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