ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – A soldier of the Syrian army was killed and at least 12 others were injured on Tuesday in a car bomb near the Syrian defense ministry building in Damascus, the ministry said, adding that the explosion occurred during an attempt to defuse another bomb.

Syrian state TV reported at around 3:00 pm that an explosive device detonated at the Armament Management Center in Damascus’ Bab Sharqi area, causing casualties.

“One of the Syrian Arab Army’s groups discovered an explosive device prepared for detonation near one of the buildings belonging to the defense ministry in the Bab Sharqi area of Damascus,” state media cited a defense ministry statement as saying. 

As the explosive device was being defused, “a car bomb exploded in the same area, resulting in the martyrdom of a soldier and injuries to others of varying severity,” the ministry said. 

At least 12 people were injured in the explosion, health officials told state media, adding that the wounded were transported to nearby hospitals and received medical treatment. 

Attempts to carry out bombings and the discovery of explosive devices by Syrian authorities are common incidents in the country, as it has endured years of civil war and the presence of armed rebel groups.

Explosions in Damascus have sporadically taken place since December 2024, when former dictator Bashar al-Assad was ousted by a lightning Islamist-led offensive. 

In June of last year, an explosion at the Mar Elias Church in Damascus blamed on the Islamic State (ISIS) killed 25 people.