Bomb Blast at Damascus Cafe Kills at Least Six, Wounds 22
A bomb exploded inside a crowded cafe in central Damascus on Thursday, killing at least six people and wounding 22, Syrian state media reported. The blast occurred at a cafe on Al-Nasr Street, about 100 meters from the main entrance of the Palace of Justice, a major government building in the capital's Hejaz district.
State news agency SANA said an explosive device had been planted under a table inside the cafe. Security sources told Al Jazeera that a person entered the cafe, placed the device, and left, possibly intending to reach the courthouse to carry out further attacks.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, according to multiple reports.
The blast was the deadliest bombing in Damascus since a suicide attack on a church in June 2025 killed 25 people, according to Al Jazeera. A shadowy jihadist group, Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah, claimed that attack, though authorities blamed the Islamic State (IS) group.
Witnesses described scenes of chaos. Mohammad al-Dahabi, owner of a glasses shop next to the cafe, told the AFP news agency: "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."
Graphic video footage posted on social media showed at least two men lying motionless on the cafe's outdoor terrace.
During a visit to the scene, Damascus Governor Maher Marwan Idlibi said those responsible would be punished. "Each time the country sees a period of stability, malicious parties try to destabilise it," he added.
Officials warned that many of the wounded being treated at Al-Mouwasa Hospital had severe injuries, suggesting the death toll could rise.
The attack occurred amid ongoing security challenges in Syria. Since former-President Bashar al-Assad was toppled in late 2024, Damascus has been hit by multiple attacks. Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa has struggled to consolidate control and restore security.
The cafe is popular with lawyers, courthouse employees, and visitors, according to Al Jazeera's Obaida Hitto, reporting from the scene. "The casualties are higher because it is such a busy area," he said.
Analysts viewed the blast as a major security breach in the heart of the capital, though not entirely unexpected given the number of opponents to Syria's new government.
On May 19, a car bomb exploded outside a Defense Ministry building in Damascus, killing one Syrian soldier and wounding at least 18 others, the Jerusalem Post reported.
Late Thursday evening, Syrian officials said they had apprehended an ISIL-linked cell responsible for Tuesday's blasts, according to Al Jazeera. Interior Minister Anas Khattab posted on X: "The cell responsible for the terrorist bombings that targeted Damascus two days ago is now in our custody."
Navvar Saban, a researcher in security and military affairs at the Arab Center for Contemporary Syrian Studies, told Al Jazeera that "these attacks appear aimed at damaging the perception of stability rather than demonstrating the existence of a large operational capability."
Residents expressed concern about the renewed violence. "Many residents felt Damascus was gradually returning to a more normal rhythm of life," Saban said, referring to the period before this week's attacks.