At least two people were killed, and 13 others were injured after an explosive device detonated aboard a passenger minibus in the Damascus countryside on Thursday.

Syria’s state news agency SANA cited the health ministry as saying that two people were killed and 13 were wounded in the explosion.

Najib al-Naasan, director of the Referral, Ambulance and Emergency Directorate at the Health Ministry, said forensic teams were dealing with human remains found at the scene in accordance with established procedures.

He added that nearby hospitals and emergency departments had been placed on high alert, while ambulance services and medical teams were mobilized to ensure a rapid response and transport the injured to medical facilities for treatment.

Images and videos on social media showed the minibus heavily damaged, with debris scattered across the road and in front of residential buildings.

Residents and rescue workers rushed to the scene. Witnesses told the AP that there were passengers inside the vehicle that exploded, and that the blast rattled the busy commercial street.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

In early July, two explosions wounded at least 18 people during French President Emmanuel Macron's landmark visit to Syria. Explosive devices were placed in a garbage bin and a parked car.