Bomb blast at Damascus cafe kills 9 near key government building
Deadliest attack in the Syrian capital since last year’s church bombing targets busy area near the Palace of Justice
A bomb blast rocked a cafe in Syria’s capital Damascus on Thursday, killing nine people and wounding 20, authorities said, in the latest challenge for the country’s Islamist leaders as they seek stability after more than a decade of war.
The bombing – the deadliest since a suicide attack on a church last year – was not immediately claimed.
It took place near the capital’s Palace of Justice, a key government building, sparking scenes of panic in the busy area.
“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.
The “improvised explosive device” contained metal fragments, which caused “severe injuries and significant damage”, the interior ministry wrote on Telegram.
Investigators were reviewing surveillance footage, speaking to witnesses and collecting forensic evidence from the scene, the ministry said.