Scores dead in bus attack in eastern Syria
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — At least 25 people have been killed in an attack on a bus in eastern Syria.
It is unclear if the victims are civilians or military personnel.
A "terrorist" attack against a bus on Deir ez-Zor - Palmyra road killed 25 civilians and injured 13 others at around 4pm, reported the state-run SANA news agency.
However, a war monitor says the casualties are higher and are military personnel.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that the attack was an “ambush” by the Islamic State (ISIS) against three buses filled with regime soldiers, killing 30 soldiers and injuring 15 others. Two buses managed to leave the scene, it said.
Rami Abdel Rahman, head of SOHR, told AFP that it was "one of the deadliest attacks" in Syria since the territorial defeat of the group by Kurdish fighters in March 2019.
He added that the bus was ambushed near Shula village by ISIS sleeper cells who had detonated bombs before opening fire.
ISIS is yet to claim responsibility for the deadly attack.
Deir ez-Zor has been the focal point of recent ISIS activities, where it carries out attacks against the regime and SDF forces in control of the province.