May 22, 2026 | 07:41 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Saudi Arabian government has condemned the car bomb explosion that killed a Syrian soldier and injured several others in Damascus, Syria, on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaffirmed the government's stance of rejecting all forms of violence.The ministry reiterated the kingdom's "condemnation and denunciation of the explosion incident," as cited by Anadolu.Saudi Arabia also expressed condolences and solidarity with Syria and hoped for the swift recovery of the injured victims.According to the Syrian state news agency SANA, a car explosion occurred near the Ministry of Defense building in the Bab Sharqi area of Damascus.The Syrian military reported that a military unit had previously discovered an explosive device prepared for detonation near one of the ministry buildings. "Security forces immediately moved to deal with and dismantle the device before another car bomb exploded in the same area," a ministry official told SANA.The explosion killed one Syrian soldier and injured several others. Najib al-Naasan, the director of Damascus ambulance and emergency services, stated that the number of injured victims reached 12 people. So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack.The incident occurred as the new Syrian government was tightening national security following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in late 2024. Assad fled to Russia, ending the rule of the Baath Party that had governed Syria since 1963. The transitional government led by President Ahmad Al-Sharaa began its term in January 2025.Read: Australia Says 13 IS-linked Citizens to Fly Back from SyriaClick here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
