Bomb blast at a crowded cafe in central Damascus has killed six people and wounded 22 others, authorities say.
The incident took place only 100 metres from the Palace of Justice in the Hejaz district, according to the interior ministry. No terrorist group has claimed responsibility for the attack, and authorities currently point to the Islamic State as the likely perpetrator.
The explosion was the deadliest in Damascus since a 2025 suicide attack on a church that claimed twenty‑five lives. Saraya Ansar al‑Sunnah, a jihadist group, previously claimed responsibility for that attack, but officials have blamed the Islamic State.
Damascus Governor Maher Marwan Idlibi condemned the violence, saying that perpetrators of such attacks will be punished and warned that each “stable” period is challenged by destabilising forces.
The attack comes a year after Bashar al‑Assad lost power in December 2024, a transition that has continued to expose the country to sectarian and civil‑war‑style violence. Transitional President Ahmed al‑Sharaa has struggled to consolidate his authority across the nation, while local communities face ongoing threats.
