A car explosion in the Mezze district of Damascus, the capital of Syria, has claimed the life of one person, according to the state-run Syrian news agency SANA. The identity of the victim remains undisclosed. A police official quoted by SANA confirmed that the explosion was caused by an explosive device planted in the car.

The Mezze neighborhood is also home to the now-destroyed Iranian consulate, which was targeted in a strike blamed on Israel last month. The attack resulted in the deaths of seven individuals, including two Iranian generals and a member of the Lebanese Shia group Hezbollah. This incident led to an Iranian military assault on Israel, raising concerns of a potential escalation triggering a region-wide conflict.

Rami Abdurrahman, the head of the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), stated that the deceased individual was a resident of Mezze and identified as a Syrian army officer with close ties to Iran.

Security incidents, including vehicle bombings, occur sporadically in war-torn Damascus. The recent explosion takes place against the backdrop of heightened tensions in the region, including Israel's ongoing conflict with Gaza.

Shortly after the blast in Damascus, reports emerged of an Israeli drone attack targeting a car and a truck near the town of Qusayr in western Syria. The attack reportedly killed at least two Hezbollah fighters and wounded others. The incident occurred near the al-Dabaa military airport, close to the Lebanese border.

It is worth noting that Israel has conducted numerous airstrikes in Syria since the conflict began in 2011, often targeting Iranian-backed forces such as Hezbollah, as well as Syrian military positions. These attacks have intensified since the start of Israel's war on Gaza on October 7, which followed a significant Hamas attack on Israel.

In a separate incident last month, an explosive device detonated in a car in the Mezze district, but no casualties were reported.

The war in Syria, which erupted in 2011 following a government crackdown on anti-government protests, has resulted in the death of over half a million people and forced millions more to flee their homes. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has received substantial backing from Iran and Russia, enabling his government to regain control despite widespread international and regional opposition, as well as allegations of human rights abuses.