Bomb Blast Kills 9, Wounds 20 in Syria
Photo: REUTERS
A bomb exploded inside a cafe near the main courthouse complex on Thursday, killing at least nine people and wounding 20 others in Damascus, Syria.
Syria’s Health Ministry reported the casualties via the state-run Al-Ekhbariya network, noting that the blast targeted a venue frequently used by local lawyers. While no group claimed immediate responsibility, security forces cordoned off the area to investigate.
Damascus Governor Maher Idlibi characterized the device as primitive and vowed that “the perpetrators will be held to account.”
He added that the Interior Ministry will soon announce initial findings. Social media footage showed police assisting wounded victims before ambulances arrived to treat people on-site and transport the severely injured to hospitals.
Jalal Aljanani, a neighboring restaurant owner, rushed to assist the victims while his shirt was covered in blood.
“We carried the victims to the cars until the traffic police arrived,” he told The Associated Press. Aljanani noted, “Many of them had suffered severe impact injuries, and almost all of them were bleeding”.
The attack challenges President Ahmad Al-Sharaa, who overthrew the Assad dynasty in a lightning insurgency in December 2024. Although the former Hayat Tahrir al Sham leader wrested control from Kurdish-led forces and extremist groups to protect all Syrians, security concerns remain.
Despite frequent raids on IS (Daesh) cells, a July 2025 church suicide bombing and this latest blast continue to rattle the capital.
Source: Arab News (adapted)
