A bomb explosion at a cafe near the Palace of Justice in central Damascus claimed at least six lives and left 22 people injured on Thursday, according to Syrian authorities. The Interior Ministry said early findings point to an improvised explosive device that had been placed at the location, and no group has stepped forward to claim responsibility for the attack.
The blast struck close to one of the Syrian capital’s primary judicial buildings, a site that has drawn significant public attention in recent months due to landmark cases connected to Syria’s transition following the fall of the Assad regime. Authorities have not announced any evidence directly linking the bombing to those court proceedings, and the investigation remains active.
A source within the Ministry of Justice told The Media Line that all six people killed were lawyers. They were identified as Mohannad Khalaf, Mahmoud Shehab, Eid Mohammad, Fathi Al-Qabbani, Mohammad Shamali, and Hossam Al-Safadi. The source also noted that several of the injured were lawyers who had been working in the surrounding area.
The explosion is considered one of the most deadly security incidents to strike Damascus in recent months.
Damascus Governor Maher Marwan Edlbi told The Media Line that an investigation was launched immediately following the blast. He vowed that those responsible would be identified and held accountable in court, and made clear that such attacks would not succeed in destabilizing the capital or disrupting the functions of state institutions.
The Interior Ministry added that initial evidence does not point to a suicide bomber, and said security personnel are continuing to gather evidence and examine the scene in order to identify who carried out the attack.
Those who were wounded were transported to hospitals throughout Damascus. Nurse Amna Madour, working at Al-Mouwasat Hospital, told The Media Line that the majority of patients admitted to her facility had suffered shrapnel injuries. She said the nature of those wounds strongly indicated they were caused by an explosive device.
The Palace of Justice has recently served as the venue for criminal proceedings against Wassim al-Assad, a cousin of former President Bashar Assad. The court has also begun judicial proceedings against former Grand Mufti Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun on allegations related to incitement and his conduct during the Syrian conflict.
Additionally, prosecutors have opened cases against former security official Atef Najib, who is alleged to have been involved in the arrest and torture of schoolchildren in Daraa in 2011 — an event widely considered to have been the catalyst for the Syrian uprising.
Political activist Wael Al-Khalidi told The Media Line that the location of the bombing could not be viewed as coincidental, given the symbolic weight the Palace of Justice has taken on in recent months. While acknowledging that the investigation is still underway, he suggested it was possible the attackers were remnants of the former regime.
Al-Khalidi described the courthouse as a symbol of hope for many Syrians who are seeking accountability for individuals accused of serious human rights violations. He argued the bombing may have been intended to frighten the public and erode trust in Syria’s transitional justice process, while also sending a message that forces opposed to accountability are still capable of carrying out violent acts.
He went on to say that any effort to intimidate judges, lawyers, or ordinary citizens would ultimately fall short, noting that Syria has entered a new political and judicial era in which accountability and the rule of law are fundamental to the country’s path forward. He said this moment calls for reinforcing judicial institutions rather than allowing violence to undermine them.
For many Syrians, the deeper meaning of the attack goes beyond the lives lost — it struck at a place that has come to represent the nation’s pursuit of justice in the aftermath of the Assad regime’s collapse.
