A major explosion hit Damascus’ Al-Mazzeh neighborhood; Syria reports injuries and conflicting accounts as regime forces launch urgent investigation.
A powerful explosion shattered the quiet of Damascus on Friday evening, sending shockwaves across the Syrian capital and triggering a frantic response from the Assad regime. Syrian media outlets, struggling to form a coherent narrative, offered conflicting reports about what hit the well-known Al-Mazzeh neighborhood — long a hub of regime officials, foreign operatives, and intelligence infrastructure.
Syrian state television, quoting a security source, claimed a woman was injured in what it described as “an explosion carried out by unknown individuals” inside a private home. But other reports contradicted that account, stating that a missile slammed into a three-story building in the same area.
With details murky and the regime’s explanations inconsistent, speculation is swirling. Al-Mazzeh is home to multiple regime and Iranian targets, and the neighborhood has seen previous precision strikes attributed to Israel, aimed at disrupting Iranian entrenchment and terror infrastructure deep inside Syria.
The Assad regime’s official news agency, SANA, admitted it still has no clear understanding of what caused the blast — a rare public acknowledgment of confusion within the security establishment.
As Syrian security forces rush to cordon off the area and “pursue those responsible,” observers note that the incident once again highlights the fragility of Assad’s grip on the capital, where explosions, assassinations, and covert operations have become increasingly common.
