The blast occurred in the Bab Sharqi district of the Syrian capital while army personnel were dismantling another explosive device discovered near the same location, the ministry said in a statement.

According to the ministry, “a car bomb exploded in the same area, resulting in the martyrdom of one soldier and injuries to others.”

A source from Syria’s civil defense services said at least one person had been killed in the explosion, though casualty figures had not been independently confirmed.

An AFP correspondent at the scene reported hearing a powerful explosion before witnessing a vehicle engulfed in flames near the defense-related building. Security forces quickly sealed off the surrounding area and deployed heavily across the neighborhood.

Authorities have not publicly identified those responsible for the attack, and no group immediately claimed responsibility.

The incident underscores ongoing security challenges in Syria despite a relative reduction in large-scale fighting following years of civil war and political instability.

Damascus has periodically experienced bombings, targeted attacks and security operations involving militant cells, particularly around government and military facilities.

The attack targeted troops from the Frontier Corps in southwestern Pakistan, where separatist violence has intensified in recent years amid insurgent campaigns against security forces, infrastructure projects and foreign-linked energy investments.

A senior security official told AFP that an explosive device detonated near the convoy before militants opened fire, triggering an armed confrontation.“Five soldiers were killed and another was critically wounded,” the official said.

Pakistan’s military said troops launched a follow-up operation after identifying the militants’ location.“During the operation, a group of terrorists was located and engaged by troops. During fire exchange seven terrorists were killed,” the army’s media wing said in a statement.

The Baloch Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the assault. The separatist group, designated a terrorist organization by the United States, has waged a long-running insurgency seeking greater autonomy and control over Balochistan’s natural resources.

The BLA has increasingly targeted Pakistanis from other provinces working in Balochistan as well as foreign companies involved in mining, transport and energy projects linked to regional development initiatives.

Violence in the province escalated sharply last year when separatist militants hijacked a passenger train carrying around 450 people, leading to a two-day siege that left multiple casualties.

Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest but least populated province, borders Iran and Afghanistan and remains strategically significant due to its mineral wealth and access to the Arabian Sea.

The assault occurred in Bafwakoa village in Mambasa territory of Ituri province, near the town of Niania, beginning around 7 p.m. local time, according to army statements and local authorities.

The Congolese military said the attackers were members of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an armed group active in eastern Congo that has been recognized by Islamic State as an affiliate.

Local official Christian Alimasi said the attackers burned at least 44 houses, killed residents using machetes and fire, and abducted two people during the raid.

Violence linked to the ADF has intensified in recent months in Ituri and neighboring North Kivu province, despite joint military operations launched in 2021 by Congolese and Ugandan forces to counter the group.

Data from Insecurity Insight shows the ADF accounted for roughly a quarter of reported violence against civilians in eastern Congo between 2020 and 2025, underscoring the persistent security challenges in the region.