Bomb blast at Damascus cafe kills 6, Syria authorities say

A bomb blast at a cafe in Damascus on Thursday killed six people and wounded 22, authorities said, in the latest challenge for Syria’s Islamist leaders as they seek to stabilise the country after more than a decade of war.

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.

Ambulances wove through traffic with their sirens blaring as they headed to the site, and security forces cordoned off the area of the blast.

“The explosion that occurred in a cafe near the Palace of Justice in Damascus resulted from an explosive device planted in the location,” state television said.

Nour Khayyat, 40, who owns a shop selling batteries for solar panels near the site, said that “at about 3pm, I heard a powerful blast and the storefront shook”.