Bus explosion rocks Syria’s Deir ez-Zor: 18 casualties reported

Shafaq News – Damascus

A roadside bomb struck a bus carrying oil facility guards in Syria’s eastern Deir ez-Zor province on Thursday, resulting in casualties.

Shafaq News correspondent reported that the device detonated near the town of Saalo, killing five guards and wounding 13 others.

The Syrian Ministry of Energy condemned what it described as a “cowardly terrorist act,” confirming that the attack would not deter its personnel from continuing their duties to protect energy sites and sustain production despite ongoing challenges.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the assault, but the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights suggested that Islamic State (ISIS) cells operating in the area were behind the attack, identifying the victims as personnel affiliated with the Ministry of Defense.

استهداف حافلة لعناصر وزارة الدفاع بعبوة ناسفة في ريف #دير_الزور وسقوط 3 قتـ ـلى و9 جر حى#المرصد_السوريhttps://t.co/aUWqF6gCxc

— المرصد السوري لحقوق الإنسان (@syriahr) October 16, 2025