On Thursday evening, a blast went off in a passenger bus traveling along the main streets during rush hour in the Syrian city of Jaramana (Rif-Damascus Province). According to the latest figures from the director of health for the province, Dr. Taufik Hisba, 14 people were injured and there were no deaths. Videos have appeared online showing that the bus roof was completely destroyed, with passengers’ and passersby’s belongings scattered around. This was the first such explosion in the city since the fall of the previous regime.
Three of the injured are in critical condition and need surgery, while another seven were taken to a hospital in Damascus. Doctors faced a disturbing discovery: parts of bodies that had initially been brought to the forensic department from the “Ar-Radi” Hospital in Jaramana turned out not to be remains of the dead, but amputated limbs of surviving passengers. In total, three limbs were found—one of them completely severed. After the data were checked again, the medical staff established that all victims are in the “Al-Mujahhid” Hospital, and that the alarm about alleged deaths had been false.
The explosion occurred amid a clear rise in tensions in Jaramana. In the past few days, limited protest actions have taken place there calling for those responsible for violations in the Suwayda province to be held accountable. About an hour before the tragedy, the sheikhs of Suwayda’s Druze community called for an end to violence and intercommunal strife, for preserving the unity of Syrian society, and for punishing those acting outside the law. This gives the incident an added regional dimension, as Jaramana is regarded as a city with a strong Druze community.
The Syrian Ministry of the Interior said that security forces immediately cordoned off the scene, began collecting evidence, and are conducting an investigation to establish all the circumstances of the crime. The ministry stressed that the blast occurred after the sheikhs and elders of Jaramana issued statements expressing support for the Syrian state and the unity of the country. Authorities urged citizens to remain vigilant and not be drawn into provocations aimed at stoking interethnic hatred.
Syrian Foreign Minister Assad ash-Shaybani said that the terrorist attack would not stop Syrians from restoring and building the state, and that all those responsible would be found and punished. The head of the Civil Defense, Raid as-Salih, also expressed confidence that the tragedy would not weaken society’s resolve. The governor of Rif-Damascus Province, Amer ash-Shaykh, promised that “the crime will not go unpunished.” It is worth noting that on July 7, two explosions already occurred in Damascus near the Ministry of Tourism: one person was killed and 36 were injured. According to the investigation, the cell of ISIS was responsible for that attack.
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What events in Suwayda province sparked dissatisfaction among the Druze community, and why did this lead to protests in Jaramana? — After the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, the new Syrian authorities—formed with the dominance of the Hayat Tahrir ash-Sham group—began to establish control over Suwayda, the province where Druze make up the majority of the population. Discontent was triggered by attempts to disarm local Druze units and integrate them into new security structures, arrests of activists, harsh raids, and clashes in which local residents died at the beginning of 2025. Alarm was heightened by reports of attacks on Druze religious sites in other parts of Syria: many Druze interpreted this as a sign of an aggressive policy by the new authority with Islamist roots. Jaramana— the largest center of the Druze community in the metropolitan region—responded with solidarity protests. Druze took to the streets demanding guarantees of safety, protection for sacred sites, and an end to security operations in areas where the community lives in concentrated settlements. For residents of Jaramana, events in Suwayda became a warning signal: they saw in them a model of how the new authorities might act against minorities across the country.
What is unique about Jaramana’s history and demographics? — Jaramana is an ancient satellite city of Damascus southeast of Syria’s capital, notable for its centuries-old mixed population. For ages, Druze, Christians of different denominations (Orthodox, Catholics, Protestants) and Sunni Muslims have lived side by side here; within the city’s territory there was also a camp for Palestinian refugees. During the civil war, Jaramana remained under the control of government forces and received tens of thousands of displaced people, primarily from the nearby Eastern Ghouta: the city’s population more than doubled—from roughly 100,000 to 200,000 people. At the same time, the local Druze and Christian community preserved relative autonomy, had their own armed formations, and community leaders served as intermediaries between the central authorities and residents. After the fall of Assad, Jaramana became a symbol of Druze-Christian presence in Damascus and a kind of “barometer” of sentiment among religious minorities, so any incident there immediately resonates across Syria.
How was the new Syrian government formed after the fall of the Assad regime, and who was Raid as-Salih, head of the Civil Defense? — After Bashar Assad fled on December 8, 2024, power in Damascus passed to an opposition coalition headed by Ahmed ash-Sharaa (known previously as Abu Muhammad al-Julani). The core of the new government consisted of the structures of the “Syrian Salvation Government”—the administration that, since 2017, had governed the opposition-held region of Idlib. The prime minister of the transitional cabinet was Muhammad al-Bashir, and at the end of January 2025, ash-Sharaa announced he would be president of the transitional period. Key posts were filled by people from the Idlib administration: Murhaf Abu Kasra became defense minister, Assad ash-Shaybani—foreign minister, and Ali Keda—interior minister. Before entering government, the head of the Civil Defense, Raid as-Salih, led the “Syrian Civil Defense,” known as the “White Helmets”—an organization created during the war to rescue civilians from under rubble after airstrikes. In the West, the “White Helmets” received widespread recognition (as-Salih was even nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize), but Damascus, Moscow, and Tehran accused them of ties to radical groups and of staged videos. Because of threats from the Assad regime, as-Salih spent many years in exile—in Turkey and Europe—returning to Syria only after the fall of Assad. His appointment to the cabinet was seen by the new authorities as a step toward winning Western trust and a demonstration of “moderation,” though for many skeptics it merely underscored the government’s links to Islamist structures.
Full version: 14 مصاباً في تفجير جرمانا.. والداخلية السورية: نتعقب المتورطين