Blast at Damascus cafe kills nine, wounds 20

A bomb blast at a cafe in central Damascus on Thursday killed nine people and wounded 20 others, Syria's interior ministry said.

Syrian state television said an explosive device had been planted at the cafe, near the Palace of Justice in the centre of the capital.

The interior ministry said preliminary investigations showed the blast was caused by a crudely made explosive device weighing about one kilogram and packed with metal shrapnel, causing severe injuries and extensive damage at the site.

Videos that circulated on social media showed wounded people and blood on the floors of a cafe, purportedly the site of the blast. Reuters could not immediately verify the footage.

The attack presents another security challenge to the Syrian government of President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who took control after overthrowing former President Bashar al-Assad in late 2024. Assad's ouster effectively ended more than 14 years of civil war.

Damascus has witnessed a handful of security incidents since then, including a car bomb that killed one Syrian soldier and wounded at least 18 people outside the defence ministry in May.