Blast outside a Syrian defense ministry building kills a soldier, wounds 12 people

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Syrian security personnel inspect the site of an explosion outside a Defense Ministry building in Damascus, Syria, Tuesday, May 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdulrahman Shaheen)

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8:41 AM on Tuesday, May 19

The Associated Press

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — A bomb exploded outside a Defense Ministry building in the Syrian capital on Tuesday, killing one soldier and wounding about a dozen other people, the ministry and state media reported.

The Defense Ministry said in a terse statement that soldiers discovered a bomb that was ready to be detonated in the central Bab Sharqi district of Damascus. As they were dismantling it, a car exploded nearby, killing a member of the military and wounding the others.

The ministry said the blast occurred outside a building linked to the Defense Ministry but gave no further details.

State TV reported that the blast killed one person and wounded 12 others, including civilians.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility but such attacks in the past have been blamed on the Islamic State group.

IS has claimed such attacks since the Assad family was removed from power after five decades of rule by insurgent groups that marched into Damascus in December 2024.