Attack in Central Damascus shakes Syria’s fragile peace
According to state-run media outlets, the blast resulted from an explosive device implanted in the site, which is located near the Palace of Justice in the Syrian capital.
Aftermath of the bombing of a café near the Palace of Justice in Damascus. Photo: SANA
Months after relative civil peace and stability were seemingly restored in Syria, an explosion struck a café in the capital of Damascus on Wednesday, July 2.
Health officials said that at least six people were killed, and 22 others were injured in the blast, which resulted from an explosive device implanted in the site.
The state-run TV reported that the café is located near the Palace of Justice in the Al-Nasr street in central Damascus.
Governor of Damascus, Maher Idilbi, told reporters that the explosion aimed to disrupt the situation in the country, at a time when Syria was recovering in various fields.
Idilbi further warned that “anyone who tampers with the blood of Syrians will receive their punishment,” stressing that “work is continuing daily to strengthen the security situation and raise the level of stability” in Damascus.
He also affirmed that investigations are underway to find out the motives for the explosion and who is behind it, and that “the truth will be revealed through the efforts of the Internal Security Forces.”
The explosion underscores the prevailing security challenges in Syria
In a recent interview with Al Mashhad TV, Syria’s interim President, Ahmad al-Sharaa, expressed his satisfaction with the Syrian transitional government’s ability to solve many problems in the country since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
Al-Sharaa explained that he was able to find solutions to these problems in cooperation with many regional and European countries. However, these solutions seem to be largely connected to Syria’s economy, after most of the sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union on the country were lifted.
Although no internal or external actors have yet claimed responsibility for Wednesday’s explosion, the incident underscores the prevailing challenges to security and civil peace in Syria, where sectarian violence has risen since the new rulers ascended to power.
Similar sectarian-based violent attacks took place in different parts of Syria, including in Damascus, in the past one and a half years.
Read more: Sectarian violence on the rise in Syria as interim government clashes with Druze in the south
Meanwhile, Israel remains the major security threat to Syria’s security and stability with its continued aggression, and expansionist ambitions.
