DAMASCUS, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- A man was killed on Sunday when an explosive belt he was wearing detonated in Aleppo's al-Maysar district, the official SANA news agency said, citing a source in the city's Internal Security Directorate.

The blast occurred near a bakery in the east of the city, it added.

Authorities said there were no civilian casualties. Security forces opened an investigation to determine the man's identity, and no group immediately claimed responsibility.

Syria has seen a spate of bombings this year. On June 22, a suicide attacker struck a Greek Orthodox church in Damascus, killing at least 25 people, which authorities blamed on Islamic State.

In July, an explosion hit a military site near Aleppo International Airport, underscoring persistent security risks around the northern city. ■