A bomb detonated at a busy café in central Damascus killed at least nine individuals and left 22 others wounded, according to Syrian state media.
The interior ministry reported that an explosive device was placed inside the café, which sits just 100 meters (330 feet) from the Palace of Justice, a prominent government building in the Hejaz district of the capital.
No group has promptly claimed responsibility for the attack.
This incident marks the deadliest bombing in Damascus since a suicide attack on a church in June 2025 that resulted in 25 fatalities.
A clandestine jihadist organization calling itself Saraya Ansar al‑Sunnah claimed responsibility for that previous bombing, while authorities attributed it to the Islamic State (IS).
Mohammed al‑Dahabi, proprietor of a nearby glasses shop, described Thursday’s bombing as evocative of attacks that occurred during Syria’s civil war.
He told AFP, “I felt a powerful shock, and the entire venue trembled. I rushed to the scene and saw people collapsed on the floor, with blood spreading across the area.”
Graphic footage shared on social media depicted at least two men lying motionless on the café’s outdoor terrace.
During a site visit, Damascus Governor Maher Marwan Idlibi asserted that those behind the bloodshed would be held accountable.
He added, “Whenever the nation achieves stability, malicious actors attempt to destabilize it.”
Several attacks have taken place in Damascus since Islamist‑led rebel forces ousted Bashar al‑Assad in December 2024, concluding a 13‑year civil war.
Interim President Ahmed al‑Sharaa has found it challenging to consolidate control across the entire country and restore security since assuming power.
Multiple episodes of deadly sectarian clashes have occurred between government forces and members of Syria’s Alawite and Druze minorities.