A bomber with suspected links to Islamic State tried to target a church before detonating his explosive belt near a security patrol, killing one member and wounding two others, Syria's interior ministry said.
A patrol of the Internal Security Forces was attempting to detain the bomber in the neighbourhood near the Bab al-Faraj archaeological site, according to state news agency SANA.
Aleppo governor Azzam al-Gharib said in a statement the police patrol was on duty securing the New Year celebrations in the city on Wednesday when they spotted the bomber and chased after him.
One of the police officers "managed to physically restrain him" when the man detonated an explosive belt, he said.
He said the situation was "under control".
Syrian Interior Ministry spokesperson Nour al-Din al-Baba told Syrian state TV the attacker appeared to be trying to enter a Christian neighbourhood containing a number of churches.
Heavy security was in place on Wednesday in Syrian cities out of fear of attacks on New Year's gatherings.
Last week, at least eight people were killed and 18 wounded by explosives planted in an Alawite mosque in the city of Homs.
A little-known group calling itself Saraya Ansar al-Sunna claimed responsibility for that attack.
Wednesday's attack comes at a time when Syrian authorities have increased co-operation with US forces in the fight against Islamic State.
Earlier in December, two US Army soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed in Syria by a suspected Islamic State attacker who targeted a convoy of American and Syrian forces before being shot dead.
The US military responded by launching large-scale strikes against dozens of Islamic State targets in the country.
With Reuters
28°C