ISTANBUL

A Syrian bomb disposal expert was wounded Saturday while attempting to defuse an explosive device in the town of Jdeidet Artouz, southwest of the capital, Damascus, according to authorities.

An Interior Ministry statement said bomb disposal teams were dispatched to the scene after residents reported a suspected bomb under a pickup truck.

The device exploded during the dismantling operation, injuring a bomb disposal expert, who was transported to a hospital for treatment.

Security agencies have launched an investigation to determine the circumstances of the incident and identify those responsible, the statement added.

The blast occurred opposite the Al-Firdous building in Jdeidet Artouz, in the Damascus countryside, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).

The Syrian government has intensified efforts to maintain security in the country since the ouster of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024, after 24 years in power.

Assad fled to Russia last December, ending the Baath Party regime, which had been in power since 1963. A transitional administration led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa was formed in Syria in January.