Explosion of an improvised explosive device inside a café near the courthouse in Damascus leaves dead and injured

Damascus —
Four people were killed and 11 others injured today, Thursday, as a result of an explosion inside a café near the Justice Palace in the center of the Syrian capital, Damascus.

According to initial information, the explosion was caused by an explosive device planted inside the café, while ambulances rushed to the scene to transport the injured, amid a state of panic and chaos in the area, which witnessed heavy movement at the time of the incident.

Security forces cordoned off the vicinity of the site and prevented approaching it, while the competent authorities began investigating to determine the nature of the device and the party behind the explosion.

The explosion comes at a time when Damascus occasionally witnesses scattered security incidents since the political change the country experienced at the end of 2024, despite the new authorities' attempts to stabilize the capital.

Damascus had witnessed last May a car bomb explosion near a building belonging to the Ministry of Defense, which resulted in the death of a soldier, and in June 2025, a suicide bombing inside a church in the Al-Duweila neighborhood, causing dozens of deaths and injuries.

This explosion revives fears of the return of attacks inside civilian areas in the capital, especially since its location near the Justice Palace and in a vital area makes its security message more sensitive, awaiting what the official investigations will reveal in the coming hours.