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The explosion occurred near the Palace of Justice, a key government building, and was caused by an explosive device planted at the cafe, according to state television.
Police officers stand at an area cordoned off with police tape near the site of the blast in central Damascus, Syria. (Source: Reuters)
At least nine people were killed and 20 others injured in a bomb blast at a cafe in the Syrian capital of Damascus on Thursday, authorities said.
The explosion occurred near the Palace of Justice, a key government building, and was caused by an explosive device planted at the cafe, according to state television. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.
The blast triggered panic in the busy area as ambulances rushed to the site and security forces sealed off the surroundings.
“The explosion that occurred in a cafe near the Palace of Justice in Damascus resulted from an explosive device planted in the location,” state television said.
Nour Khayyat, who owns a shop near the blast site, said he heard a loud explosion in the afternoon.
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“At about 3:00 pm (1200 GMT), I heard a powerful blast and the storefront shook. People rushed to the cafe and called ambulances,” he added.
Mohammed al-Dahabi, whose glasses shop is next to the cafe, described the aftermath of the explosion.
“I felt strong pressure, and the whole place shook. I ran to the place and saw people lying on the floor with blood pooled around them everywhere,” he said, adding that the scene reminded him of the bombings Damascus witnessed during Syria’s civil war.
Damascus Governor Maher Eldibi visited the site and said an investigation had been launched.
“Those responsible for this bloodshed will be punished. Each time the country sees a period of stability, malicious parties try to destabilise it,” he said.
UN Deputy Special Envoy for Syria Claudio Cordone said on X that those behind the attack “should be brought to justice”.
Turkey condemned the bombing and said it would “maintain its solidarity with Syria throughout this process”, according to a foreign ministry statement. Iraq, Jordan, Qatar and Egypt also condemned the attack.
The bombing was the deadliest in Damascus since a suicide attack on a church in June 2025 that killed 25 people. Authorities had blamed that attack on the Islamic State group, while a Sunni Islamist group later claimed responsibility.
Since the fall of former president Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, Syria’s new authorities led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa have sought to restore security and consolidate control across the country. Recent incidents in the capital have included the killing of a soldier in a car bombing in Damascus’s Old City in May.
With inputs from AFP
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