Seven Civilians Killed in Homs Bus Ambush
Gunmen opened fire on a civilian bus carrying company employees returning home from work in western Homs province on Wednesday evening, killing seven people and wounding four others. The attack occurred as the vehicle crossed the Masyaf Bridge in the countryside west of Homs city, according to the Homs Health Directorate. Maan Mahmoud Fahd, director of the Homs Grand Hospital, stated that four victims died upon arrival due to severe gunshot wounds to the head and chest, while the remaining injured were transported to various hospitals across the governorate for treatment.
Homs Internal Security Forces commander Brig Gen Bassem Mohammad Shaaban confirmed that security units were immediately deployed to secure the area and that criminal investigators began collecting evidence to identify those responsible and determine the motive. Shaaban vowed to pursue the perpetrators, stating that the attack would not go unpunished. He described the incident as a cowardly attempt to undermine security in Homs and destabilize the stability the city has worked to consolidate. "We will not allow criminals to threaten the security of our people or undermine the stability the city is experiencing," he added. No group has claimed responsibility, and authorities have not named any suspects.
The ambush was one of several recent security incidents raising concerns in Syria since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's government in December 2024. Brigadier General Munir al-Hariri, a Syrian military analyst, told Syria TV that former Assad loyalists were most likely behind the attack, aiming to destabilize the country. This follows previous attacks, including a targeting of an internal security forces bus near Damascus in August and an explosive device on a passenger bus in Jaramana earlier that month.
On the same day, a gas pipeline explosion at the Tishreen thermal power plant in the Damascus countryside forced three power stations out of service. The blast triggered a large fire, injuring two people, and damaged gas lines supplying the Deir Ali and Nasiriyah plants, which lie about 36km from the capital. The Syrian Electricity Company warned that the shutdown would cause longer scheduled power cuts. Abdul Hamid Salat, director of the energy ministry's media department, said the interruption affected water-pumping and treatment stations, disrupting services for hundreds of thousands of people across Damascus, Daraa, Sweida, and Quneitra. Energy Minister Mohammad al-Bashir said the fire was brought under control overnight, with specialists set to inspect the site to determine the precise causes.
Israeli forces also fired three artillery shells at the area around al-Mantara Dam in southern Quneitra province on Wednesday, with no immediate casualties reported. On Thursday morning, Israeli forces entered the village of Saida al-Golan with around 12 military vehicles as students traveled to school, later withdrawing towards villages in the Yarmouk Basin without reports of arrests. Reports from Al-Araby News outlet indicated an assassination attempt on a Ministry of Defence officer in Sanamen, north of Dara. These developments follow President Ahmed al-Sharaa's statement last week that talks with Israel on a security framework had reached nearly 90 percent agreement before Israel withdrew or introduced additional conditions. This report was produced in the Europe Brief News newsroom.
