Syrian intel officer wounded in mysterious explosion

Car carrying Syrian intelligence official bombed in city near Jordanian border, with shooting reported after explosion.

By World Israel News Staff

A Syrian military intelligence official was wounded in an explosion in southern Syria Wednesday night.

The incident took place Wednesday night in central Daraa, a city close to the Jordanian border, when a vehicle exploded, apparently after a bomb hidden in the vehicle was detonated.

The London-Based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that two people were injured in the explosion, and identified one of the two as an intelligence officer in the Syrian air force.

Locals reported seeing smoke billowing from the scene of the bombing, with videos and images from the scene posted to social media outlets.

Immediately after the explosion, the SOHR claimed, shooting was heard at the scene of the bombing.

The incident comes two weeks after Israel was implicated in an airstrike on a Damascus International Airport – Syria’s primary international air travel hub. The bombings caused extensive damage to the airport, forcing Syria to divert air traffic to Aleppo’s international airport in northern Syria.

Last week, Russia summoned the Israeli ambassador to Russia for a dressing down over the bombing.

“Serious concern was again expressed over the June 10 Israeli air force attack on the civilian airport of Damascus, which damaged the runway, navigation equipment and buildings, and disrupted international civilian air traffic,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

“The ambassador was told that the justification received from the Israeli side regarding the strike … was unconvincing and that Moscow expected additional clarification.”

Earlier this week, an Iranian ballistic missile facility was devastated by an apparent drone strike.

Prior to the drone attack, a number of high-profile Iranian air force scientists and military officials linked with the Quds Force in Syria died under mysterious circumstances.

Among the dead were Col. Hassan Sayyad Khodaei, acting commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ elite Quds Force Unit 840.

Khodaei was found shot dead in a car in front of his Tehran home on May 22^nd.