Syria vows accountability after Damascus bomb blast

DAMASCUS

Syrian security inspects the site after an explosive device was detonated in a cafe near the main courthouse complex, in Damascus, Syria, Thursday, July 2, 2026 (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

The authorities have pledged to find perpetrators of an attack after nine people were killed at a bomb blast at a cafe in the Syrian capital Damascus on July 3.

The bombing, the deadliest since a suicide attack on a church last year, was not immediately claimed.

It took place near the capital’s Palace of Justice, a key government building, sparking scenes of panic in the busy area.

The “improvised explosive device” contained metal fragments, which caused “severe injuries and significant damage,” the Interior Ministry wrote on Telegram.

Investigators are reviewing surveillance footage, speaking to witnesses and collecting forensic evidence from the scene, the ministry said.

Arriving at the scene, Damascus Governor Maher Eldibi said authorities had launched an investigation.

“Those responsible for this bloodshed will be punished,” he said.

“Each time the country sees a period of stability, malicious parties try to destabilize it.”

The U.N.’s deputy special envoy for Syria, Claudio Cordone, said on X that the perpetrators “should be brought to justice.”

Türkiye, which has close ties with Syria’s new authorities, also condemned the attack and vowed to “maintain its solidarity with Syria throughout this process,” according to a Foreign Ministry statement.

Several Arab countries also condemned the attack, including Iraq, Jordan, Qatar and Egypt.

The Arab League and the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council slammed the “terrorist bombing.”

Since the toppling of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, Syria’s new authorities led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa have sought to exercise full control, restore security and reunify the country.