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Damascus cafe blast kills
A bomb detonated at the Al-Mushairiya Cafe in central Damascus, near the Palace of Justice, killing 10 people and wounding 22 more, according to the Syrian Interior Ministry.
“killing ten people and wounding 22 more”
The blast struck a popular venue for lawyers and court visitors, and local media reports said six of the slain victims were lawyers, including Eid Muhammad.
The Syrian Interior Ministry said the device was a small, “crudely-made” explosive device weighing about two pounds and packed full of metal shrapnel, and it said the device was planted at the cafe and detonated later, either remotely or via a timer.
Damascus Governor Maher Marwan Idlibi said the bombing was an attempt to derail Syria’s postwar progress, adding, “The aim of this bombing is to cause disruption.”
Funerals, names, and claims
Syrians filed through Damascus to mourn the victims, and in the Midan neighbourhood mourners carried the coffins of three of the dead as they were laid to rest.
Al Jazeera reported that the funeral procession followed a blast that targeted the Al-Mushairiya Cafe on al-Nasr Street in the al-Hijaz district, some 70 metres (230 feet) from the Palace of Justice, where high-profile cases have been held.
Zaman al-Wasl named the six lawyers killed as Muhannad Khalaf, Zuhair Askar, Hossam al-Safadi, Mahmoud al-Shamali, Muhammad Ali al-Shihab, and Eid Muhammad Awad, and the Syrian Bar Association mourned “a constellation of its fellow lawyers who were martyred”.
Damascus resident Bahaa Qabbani told The Associated Press that his brother, Fathi Qabbani, who worked close to the targeted cafe, was killed as he walked by the site, and Qabbani called the perpetrators “a group of terrorists who are against the homeland,” urging security forces to “take hold of the country with an iron fist.”
Investigation and regional fallout
The Syrian Interior Ministry said investigators gathered “all available evidence” from the cafe and surrounding area, including footage from surveillance cameras, and the cafe was closed since Thursday evening under guard by Syrian Internal Security forces.
“gathered “all available evidence” from the cafe and surrounding area”
Syria’s new rulers have cracked down on militants from the extremist Islamic State group in an attempt to thwart attacks in and around the capital, but the Associated Press report noted that several incidents, including a suicide bombing in a church in July 2025, have raised concerns among many Syrians.
Regional governments condemned the bombing, with the Arab League’s Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy offering condolences to the families of the victims and wishing a speedy recovery for the injured, and the European Union “strongly condemned” the bombing as a “terrorist attack.”
The stakes for Syria’s security were underscored by Damascus Governor Maher Marwan Idlibi’s pledge that “The coming hours will reveal everything,” while the Syrian Interior Ministry said the perpetrators would be brought to justice and “no one involved will escape accountability,” as security forces cordoned off the area and investigated.
