Syria: Military Bus Bombed in Damascus, 18 Killed

Military says pre-planted IED behind strike

A pre-planted IED device tore through a Syrian military bus in Damascus Thursday, killing at least 18 soldiers and wounding 27 others. The Syrian military called it a “terrorist detonation.”

This is the deadliest such attack of the year so far. The details are still emerging, but as of yet no one has claimed credit for the strike. Early media speculation was that this may have been ISIS.

That’s not entirely impossible, as ISIS has used roadside bombings in the past. It would be unusual for ISIS not to take credit immediately for a successful strike.

If it turns out to be ISIS, this would once again underscore that the ISIS group is trying to reassert itself within Syria, and is being at least somewhat successful in its attacks.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.