A bomb explosion at a bustling cafe in central Damascus on Thursday killed at least nine people and wounded 20 others, according to Syria's Health Ministry. The attack occurred in the Al-Hijaz area near the Palace of Justice, a busy commercial district in the capital.
Witness Accounts Describe Horrific Scene
Jalal Aljanani, who runs a restaurant adjacent to the cafe, rushed to the site after hearing the blast. "We carried the victims to the cars until the traffic police arrived," he told The Associated Press, his shirt stained with blood. "Many of them had suffered severe impact injuries, and almost all of them were bleeding."
Mohammed al-Dahabi, owner of a glasses shop next to the cafe, recounted the event to AFP: "I felt strong pressure, and the whole place shook. I ran to the place and saw people lying on the floor with blood pooled around them everywhere."
New Leadership Faces Security Challenges
Since toppling the Assad dynasty and seizing power in a swift insurgency in December 2024, Syria's new leaders have intensified efforts to clamp down on militants from the extremist Islamic State group to prevent attacks in and around the capital. Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, who previously led the Hayat Tahrir al Sham group linked with al-Qaida, has since pledged to protect Syrians of all backgrounds, especially religious and ethnic minorities.
Al-Sharaa has re-established government authority across most of the nation, reclaiming control from extremist groups and Kurdish-led forces. However, he continues to face security issues as he works to stabilise the country. Security agencies regularly announce raids on IS cells and thwarted attacks targeting minorities and commercial areas, but incidents like a suicide bombing at a church in July 2025 have raised concerns among Syrians.
Official Response and Ongoing Measures
Damascus Governor Maher Marwan Idlibi stated: "The coming hours will reveal everything and those who shed the blood of Syrians will pay, but Syria will be well as long as we are one hand, and this will not shake the Syrian state." He added that there are "a lot of measures being taken for Syria's security, there are greater numbers of forces day by day, and there is a marked improvement in the Interior Ministry."
Idlibi acknowledged that stability will take time: "It will take some time for the Syrian state to attain stability. The Interior Ministry has done well over the last few months. Each time the country sees a period of stability, malicious parties try to destabilise it."
