Damascus cafe blast near courthouse kills nine, injures 20

An explosive device tore through a cafe near Damascus's main courthouse, killing nine and injuring 20 people. The blast has sharpened fears over Syria's security despite intensified raids on militant cells.

In Short

• Blast struck a cafe frequented by lawyers near Damascus's main courthouse complex
• Security forces sealed the area quickly and launched an immediate investigation
• Governor Maher Idlibi said a primitive device was used in the attack

At least nine people were killed and 20 others were injured when an explosive device went off at a cafe in Damascus on Thursday, Syria's Health Ministry said. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the blast, which came as the country's new rulers continue efforts to prevent attacks in and around the capital.

The explosion took place near the main courthouse complex, according to Syria's state-run Al-Ikhbariya network. Security forces rushed to the cafe, sealed off the area and began investigating the attack.

Damascus Governor Maher Idlibi said the Interior Ministry would soon announce its initial findings. He said the device appeared "primitive" and added that the perpetrators would be held to account.

A video circulating on social media showed several wounded people lying on the ground as police officers stood nearby. Ambulances later reached the spot, treated people there and took those more seriously hurt to hospitals in the Syrian capital. The cafe was frequented by lawyers working in the area.

Jalal Aljanani, who owns a restaurant next door, said he ran towards the cafe after hearing the explosion and was shocked by the sight of bodies on the floor. "We carried the victims to the cars until the traffic police arrived," he told The Associated Press, his shirt covered in blood. "Many of them had suffered severe impact injuries, and almost all of them were bleeding."

Since toppling the Assad dynasty and taking power in a swift insurgency in December 2024, Syria's new rulers have cracked down on militants from the extremist Islamic State group in an attempt to stop attacks in and around Damascus. During the uprising-turned-war that began in 2011, Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa led the Hayat Tahrir al Sham group, once linked to al-Qaida, but after coming to power he pledged to protect Syrians of all backgrounds, especially religious and ethnic minorities.

Al-Sharaa has reasserted government authority across most of the country, taking back control from extremist groups or Kurdish-led forces, but he continues to face security challenges as he tries to stabilise Syria. Security agencies often say they have raided IS cells and foiled attacks said to be aimed at minorities and crowded commercial areas, but incidents including a suicide bombing in a church in July 2025 have deepened concerns among many Syrians. Thursday's cafe blast left at least nine dead and 20 injured as investigators worked to establish who was behind it.

With PTI Inputs

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