Explosive device detonated near Damascus: several killed and wounded

An explosive device detonated today, Thursday, on a passenger bus in the city of Jaramana, a densely populated Druze-majority suburb near Damascus, Syrian state television reported, citing a security source. The source stated that, according to initial information, the explosion was caused by a device planted inside a small passenger bus, resulting in two deaths and 13 injuries so far.

In the year and a half since al-Julani came to power, such blasts across Syria have become almost routine. Just a month ago, a mysterious explosion occurred at a cafe near the courthouse in Damascus, where casualties were rushed from the scene on open trucks.

The situation peaked five days later, when a series of explosions occurred in the city during a visit by French President Emmanuel Macron, wounding 18 people, including 4 police officers. President Macron had left the hotel where he was staying in Damascus a quarter of an hour before the explosion occurred there and was unharmed.

These explosions take place as the USA moves closer to Syria and renews relations. Furthermore, Donald Trump intends to remove Syria from the list of state sponsors of terrorism—a move that will end 47 years of this designation, which has been in place since the early years of Hafez al-Assad's rule.