At least nine people were killed and 20 others were injured when a bomb exploded in a crowded café in Damascus on Thursday.
According to Syrian state TV, an explosive device was planted in the cafe near the Palace of Justice in the center of the Syrian capital.
Security forces cordoned off the area where the blast occurred and ambulances rushed to the scene.
Damascus Governor Maher Marwan said all the victims were civilians, including four lawyers who were in the café.
“After the explosion, I felt strong pressure and the whole place shook,” Mohammed al-Zahabi, a shop owner next to the targeted cafe, told the AFP news agency.
“I ran there and saw people lying on the floor with blood all over them,” he said.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.
uneasy situation in damascus
There have been several attacks on Damascus since the ouster of former President Bashar Assad in late 2024.
Syria’s new rulers have cracked down on “Islamic State” militants, in an effort to curb violence in and around the capital.
The deadliest attack occurred in June 2025, when 25 people were killed in an attack on a Damascus church. A Sunni Islamist group later claimed responsibility for the suicide attack.
On 19 May, a car bomb exploded outside the Defense Ministry building in Damascus, killing one Syrian soldier and wounding at least 18 others.
Edited by: Shawn Sinico
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