One of the earliest suicide bombings of the Syrian civil war, later claimed by Al-Nusra Front, killing 26 and injuring over 60.
Key Facts
- Date
- 6 January 2012
- District
- Al-Midan, Damascus
- Killed
- 26 people
- Injured
- Over 60 people
- Police officers killed
- 11 (per government footage)
- Claimed responsibility
- Al-Nusra Front
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
An armed uprising against the Syrian government had begun in early 2011. A double car bombing two weeks prior had already killed 44 people in Damascus, and the security situation was deteriorating as anti-government protests continued across the country.
On 6 January 2012, a suicide bomber attacked buses carrying riot police in the Al-Midan district of Damascus, shortly before an anti-government protest was scheduled to begin. The Syrian government reported 26 dead and more than 60 injured, with most victims described as civilians alongside 11 police officers.
The Syrian government blamed al-Qaeda for the attack to justify its crackdown on the uprising, while the opposition alleged the government staged it. The newly formed Al-Nusra Front later claimed responsibility in a video, marking an early sign of jihadist involvement in the Syrian conflict.