Syria: Deadly suicide bombing in Hama July 6

Event

A suicide bomber detonated his explosives at the entrance to a bus station in the city of Hama on Thursday, July 6, killing at least two individuals and wounding 11 others, according to Syrian state-run TV.

This is the second suicide bomb attack in a government-controlled city in Syria this week. On Sunday, July 2, a suicide bomb killed 20 people and wounded dozens in the capital Damascus.

Context

Explosions are rare in Hama, which has remained under government control throughout the country's civil war. Hama saw some of the largest protests against Assad in 2011, but they were quickly quelled.

Syria is enmeshed in a civil war that started between the Assad government and opposition forces in March 2011. Today, the conflict in Syria involves many parties, including the Syrian government, the Jordanian government, the Turkish government, the Russian government, and a United States-led coalition. On the ground, many armed groups with competing goals are involved in the fighting.

Advice

Due to extremely poor security conditions, Western governments generally advise against all travel to Syria, with some countries banning travel to the country. Professional security advice and support should be sought prior to any travel to Syria.