Damascus, May 19 (QNA) - A car bomb explosion near a Syrian Defense Ministry building in Damascus killed one soldier and wounded 18 other people on Tuesday, Syrian authorities said.

Syria's state news agency (SANA), citing a Defense Ministry statement, said an army unit had discovered an explosive device prepared for detonation near one of the ministry's buildings in the Bab Sharqi area of the capital.

The statement said security personnel attempted to dismantle the device before a car bomb exploded in the same area, killing one soldier and injuring several others.

Najib Al Naasan, director of ambulance and emergency services at Syria's Health Ministry, said 18 wounded people were transferred to nearby hospitals following the blast.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, and authorities have not released further details about the circumstances surrounding the explosion. (QNA)