DAMASCUS: 18 soldiers were killed when an explosive device detonated on a military bus in the Syrian capital Damascus. Syrian state media reported that 27 people were injured in the blast. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack. The conflict continuing in Syria for over a decade has led to the deaths of lakhs of people. A Syrian soldier was killed in a similar blast in February. The Syrian army has been able to recapture most of the areas captured by rebels. In March, 13 soldiers were killed in an attack by militants on a bus near Palmyra in central Syria. The government alleges that the Islamic State militants active in southern central Syria is behind the attacks.