Bomb blast in bus carrying Syrian troops claims 14 lives

While the Syrian government’s decade-long conflict with insurgents continues in parts of the country including the rebel-held northwest, bombings in Damascus have become exceedingly rare since President Bashar Assad’s troops pushed opposition fighters from the capital’s suburbs in 2018.

The explosions, which also left several wounded, happened at a busy intersection, near a main bus transfer point. No one claimed responsibility, but several insurgent and jihadist groups that seek to overthrow Assad are active in Syria.

Separately, rescue workers reported 10 people were killed, including four children and a woman, in government shelling in the last rebel enclave. The UN Humanitarian Coordinator Mark Cutts described as shocking the reports of shelling that hit a market and roads near schools as students were heading to classes.