3 security personnel killed in Syria police station explosion

A car bomb exploded near a police station in the eastern Syrian city of al-Mayadeen on Sunday, killing at least three security personnel and injuring others, according to state media and a monitoring group, reported Xinhua.

State-run Ikhbariya TV reported that three members of the police forces were killed in the blast, which targeted a station near the city's prison. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group, confirmed the explosion and said it occurred as security forces were launching a surprise crackdown on illegal weapons in the area.

In the aftermath of the attack, police and intelligence units cordoned off the site, preventing civilians from approaching, according to the observatory. The blast comes as the Syrian Defense authorities launched a security campaign Sunday in al-Mayadeen, located in eastern Deir al-Zour province.

The city, once considered a stronghold of Iran-backed militias, has seen a rise in arms proliferation among civilians in recent months, according to the observatory.

Earlier on Sunday, security forces reportedly sealed off all entry and exit points to the city and began sweeping searches of residential neighborhoods, targeting unlicensed weapons and suspected militant hideouts.

No group has claimed responsibility for the bombing.