Explosion of a Bomb in a Car in Damascus

A bomb exploded in a car today, Saturday, in the Mezzeh neighborhood of Damascus, according to the official Syrian news agency "SANA," citing a source from the capital's police leadership. It is not yet clear who was behind the explosion or who the target was. Damascus occasionally witnesses security incidents involving explosions targeting either civilian or military vehicles. The explosion comes amid heightened tensions after Iran vowed to respond to an airstrike that targeted its consulate in Damascus, which is attributed to Israel. The strike, which destroyed the Iranian consulate on April 1, adjacent to the embassy building, resulted in the deaths of seven members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, including two senior officers. SANA reported from a source in the Damascus police leadership that "the sound of the explosion heard a short while ago in the Mezzeh area was caused by a bomb exploding in a car in Al-Huda Square, and the damage was limited to material losses." The explosion occurred in the Mezzeh area, which houses the Iranian embassy as well as embassies of other foreign countries. Iran and Syria have blamed Israel for the attack on the consulate.