A bomb exploded on Thursday, striking a bus in Syria’s eastern province of Deir Ezzor and resulting in the deaths of at least five personnel from the defense ministry, according to an official with the ministry who spoke to AFP under conditions of anonymity.
The official reported that the explosive device went off as a bus transporting guards to an oil facility—part of the defense ministry—traveled along a route between the cities of Deir Ezzor and Mayadeen, located approximately 50 kilometers from each other. In addition to the five fatalities, 13 others sustained injuries, including bystanders who were caught in the blast.
State television confirmed the incident, detailing the explosion’s impact on the bus and the ensuing chaos. While no group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitor, attributed the act to elements likely connected to an Islamic State (IS) group cell.
Despite having lost control over significant territories in Iraq and Syria in 2019—primarily due to a concerted campaign led by the US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)—the remnants of IS continue to pose a threat in the region. The group remains active, particularly in the expansive desert areas of Syria, where it has been known to launch attacks mainly targeting Kurdish-controlled zones in the northeast.
During the ongoing Syrian civil war, which began in 2011, IS repeatedly targeted buses transporting soldiers from the regime of former President Bashar al-Assad. However, following the establishment of new Islamist-led authorities after Assad’s ouster in December, such attacks on government-controlled territories had significantly decreased.
In a related context, IS claimed its first post-Assad attack in May, resulting in the death of a Syrian army member and injuries to three others. Additionally, in June, authorities suggested the group’s involvement in a suicide bombing at a church in Damascus that claimed 25 lives, although IS did not formally take responsibility for that incident.
