Jaramana blast kills 2 in Damascus suburb, testing Syria's fragile security

Jaramana,UPDATED: Aug 7, 2026 01:08 IST

At least two people were killed and 13 others were wounded in an explosion in Jaramana, a suburb of the Syrian capital Damascus, on Thursday, Syria's Health Ministry said. Syrian state television, quoting an unnamed security official, said the blast was caused by an explosive device planted in a minivan taxi.

The attack is the latest security challenge for Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, whose government has been trying to tighten control, reassure minorities and win wider international support since he came to power in December 2024 after leading the insurgency that overthrew the Assad dynasty and ended its half-century rule.

An AP journalist at the scene saw one of the bodies being pulled from the wreckage. Residents and rescue workers rushed to the area, while witnesses told AP that there were passengers inside the vehicle when it exploded and that the blast shook a busy commercial street. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

Jaramana is home to a large population of the Druze religious minority and has seen tensions between some members of the community and Sunni Muslim Syrians who support the country's current Islamist-led government. In April 2025, at least 10 people were killed in sectarian clashes between Druze gunmen and pro-government fighters.

The apparent bombing was the third such attack in just over a month. In early July, two explosions wounded at least 18 people during French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to Syria, with explosive devices placed in a rubbish bin and a parked car. Al-Sharaa has been seeking to establish full control over Syria, reach out to minorities wary of his Islamist-led rule, and secure the backing of Western governments concerned about his past leadership of the formerly al-Qaida-linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group. His government has also promised political and economic reforms after decades of autocratic rule under the Assad family.

Thursday's explosion in Jaramana left two people dead and 13 injured, according to the Health Ministry, and came against the backdrop of recent bomb attacks, local sectarian tensions and the government's broader efforts to stabilise Syria after the fall of the Assad family.

With PTI Inputs

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