Four Syrian soldiers have died and others sustained injuries following a bomb explosion targeting a Defense Ministry bus near Deir el-Zour in eastern Syria. The soldiers were reportedly en route to guard an oil facility when the devastating blast occurred on the road connecting Deir el-Zour and Mayadeen, a region rich in oil and close to the Iraqi border. While official Syrian sources confirmed four fatalities, an independent monitoring group reported three soldiers killed and nine wounded. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, though the area is known for the presence of Islamic State (IS) sleeper cells. The IS group, despite its territorial defeat in 2019, continues to pose a threat to the Syrian government, frequently targeting military personnel transport. This incident underscores the persistent security challenges in Syria, including remnants of extremist groups and ongoing geopolitical tensions along the Euphrates River and its borders.
