Bomb blast at central Damascus cafe kills six, state media say

Syrian state media reported that a bomb exploded in a crowded cafe in central Damascus, killing at least six people and wounding 22 others.

The interior ministry said an explosive device was planted inside the cafe, located just 100 meters (330 ft) from the Palace of Justice, a large government building in the Hejaz district of the capital.

There were no allegations from any group regarding the attack.

It was the deadliest bombing in Damascus since a suicide attack on a church killed 25 people in June 2025.

Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah, a shadowy jihadist group, said they were behind the bombing, but authorities blamed the Islamic State (IS) group.

Mohammed al-dahabi, owner of the glasses shop next to the cafe, said Thursday’s bombing was reminiscent of what was seen in Damascus during the Syrian civil war.

“I felt a strong pressure and the whole place shook,” he told the AFP news agency. “I ran there and saw people lying on the ground with blood pooling around them everywhere.”

Graphic video footage posted on social media shows at least two men lying motionless on the floor of the cafe’s outdoor terrace.

Damascus Governor Mahir Mervan Idlibi, who went to the scene, said that those responsible for the bloodshed would be punished.

“Every time the country stabilizes, malicious parties try to destabilize it.”

There have been numerous attacks in Damascus since Islamist-led rebel forces toppled Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, ending a devastating 13-year civil war.

Since coming to power, Interim President Ahmed al-Shara has struggled to consolidate control over the entire country and restore security.

There have been numerous deadly sectarian clashes between government forces and members of Syria’s Alawite and Druze religious minorities.