A bomb explosion tore through a crowded cafe in central Damascus on Thursday, killing at least six people and wounding 22 others. The blast occurred on Al-Nasr Street in the al-Hijaz area, about 100 meters from the main entrance of the Palace of Justice, a major courthouse.
Security sources told Al Jazeera that a person entered the cafe, placed an improvised explosive device (IED) under a table, and left the building, possibly intending to reach the courthouse for further attacks. Immediately after the explosion, the Commander of Internal Security in Damascus, Osama Atika, and Interior Ministry officers arrived to investigate.
The cafe is popular with lawyers, courthouse employees, and visitors, said Al Jazeera’s Obaida Hitto, reporting from the scene. “The casualties are higher because it is such a busy area,” he said. Officials warned that many of the wounded being treated at Al-Mouwasa Hospital have severe injuries, so the death toll could rise.
No group has claimed responsibility, but Maher Marwan, the governor of Damascus, said “bad actors” were trying to destabilize the country. “The coming hours will reveal everything and those who shed the blood of Syrians will pay, but Syria will be well as long as we are one hand and this will not shake the Syrian state,” he said on the courthouse steps.
Analysts point to elements opposed to Syria’s transition following the downfall of President Bashar al-Assad’s government in December 2024. The Palace of Justice is currently holding high-profile trials of prominent figures from the former government, including Atef Najib, Wassim al-Assad, and former Grand Mufti Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun.
Political analyst Kamal Abdo, speaking to Al Jazeera from Idlib, said there has been anger among remnants of the former government about the trials. Up to 10,000 individuals linked to the former government remain at large, including former military officers, Ba’ath Party functionaries, and intelligence personnel, who have “very long experience in carrying out such operations,” Abdo said.
Thursday’s blast follows a string of recent security breaches, including a May 19 car bombing near the Armament Management center in Bab Sharqi that killed a soldier and wounded 18, and a June 22 bombing targeting the Mar Elias church in Dwelaa claimed by ISIL.
“It will take some time for the Syrian state to attain stability,” the Damascus governor acknowledged, but insisted the Interior Ministry has made “a marked improvement” in security since the former government’s downfall. Analyst Abdo said the new administration has proven “highly effective even beyond expectations in imposing security,” but warned Syria still faces a “very large security task” in countering similar attacks.
Source: www.aljazeera.com