Damascus Cafe Bomb Kills 9 Near Palace of Justice as Syria Faces Fresh Security Breach
Updated
Updated · Al Jazeera English · Jul 2
Damascus Cafe Bomb Kills 9 Near Palace of Justice as Syria Faces Fresh Security Breach
3 articles · Updated · Al Jazeera English · Jul 2
Summary
At least 9 people were killed and 22 wounded when a bomb ripped through a crowded cafe on al-Nasr Street, about 100 metres from Damascus's Palace of Justice.
Security sources said a man placed an improvised explosive device under a table and left, possibly intending to continue toward the courthouse before the blast.
No group claimed responsibility, but officials and analysts said opponents of Syria's post-Assad transition may be trying to destabilise the capital and disrupt trials of former regime figures.
The attack follows other recent breaches, including a May 19 car bombing that killed a soldier and a June 22 church bombing claimed by ISIL, underscoring the new government's still-fragile security grip.