On May 10, a police officer was killed and four others were wounded in a mysterious blast in the Syrian capital, Damascus.
The Ministry of Interior said in an initial statement that a police vehicle blew up inside Barzeh Police Department, which is located in one of Damascus’ highly-secured neighborhoods. In a later statement, the ministry announced that Major Muhannad Fendi Jadallah was killed in the blast, without providing any further details.
Photos released by the ministry shows a completely destroyed police vehicle that was turned upside down by the power of the blast.
- Click to see full-size image. Source: the Syrian Ministry of Interior.
- Click to see full-size image. Source: the Syrian Ministry of Interior.
- Click to see full-size image. Source: the Syrian Ministry of Interior.
An official investigation has been launched into the deadly blast, which may have been the result of a terrorist attack with an explosive device.
The suspected attack in Damascus coincided with the arrival of Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Jordan, Nayef bin Bandar al-Sudairi, who delivered an official invitation to President Bashar al-Assad to the upcoming Arab League summit in the kingdom.
Terrorist groups, including ISIS and al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, carried out several attacks in Damascus in the last few years.
Last October, a bomb exploded on a military bus near Damascus, killing at least 18 soldiers and wounding 27 others. ISIS cells were reportedly behind the attack. Syrian security forces launched a series of operations in the southern region in response, killing or wounding several commanders of the terrorist group in cooperation with local fighters.
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