Damascus cafe blast kills 5, wounds 16, Syrian state news agency says

BEIRUT, July 2 - A bomb blast at a crowded cafe in central Damascus killed at least five people and wounded 16 others on Thursday, Syrian state media reported.

Syrian state TV said a bomb had been planted at the cafe, which is near the Palace of Justice in the centre of Syria's capital. There were no other immediate details on the apparent attack and no immediate claim of responsibility.

State news agency SANA reported the death and wounded toll, citing the head of Syria's emergency health services.

Damascus has been hit by a small number of attacks since the toppling of President Bashar al-Assad in late 2024. His ouster by Ahmed al-Sharaa, now Syria's president, and his rebel forces effectively ended 14 years of civil war.

A car bomb killed one Syrian soldier and wounded at least 18 other people on May 19 outside a defence ministry building in Damascus. REUTERS