An improvised explosive device exploded inside a café in central Damascus on Thursday, killing nine people [1].
The attack marks a significant breach of security in the Syrian capital's central district. It is the deadliest bombing in Damascus since a previous church attack that killed 25 people [1].
Syrian authorities said the blast occurred in a café located within the Hamidiyeh district [1], [3]. Emergency services responded to the scene where they found nine fatalities [1] and 20 injured persons [2].
Investigators have not identified the perpetrator of the attack. No group has claimed responsibility for the explosion, which authorities described as an improvised explosive device planted inside the establishment [1], [2].
Security forces have increased their presence in the central area to conduct searches for suspects. The nature of the device suggests a targeted or planned strike within a high-traffic civilian area, a tactic that has historically been used to destabilize urban centers.
While some reports suggested a car bomb near a ministry building in Bab Sharqi, primary sources from France 24 and DW confirmed the incident was an IED inside a café in Hamidiyeh [1], [2].
“Nine people were killed and 20 injured in an IED explosion inside a café in central Damascus.”
The occurrence of a lethal IED attack in the heart of Damascus indicates a persistent security vulnerability in the capital. By targeting a civilian café in the Hamidiyeh district, the attackers demonstrated the ability to bypass security checkpoints and plant explosives in public spaces, suggesting that non-state actors or insurgent cells maintain operational capabilities within the city.
