A bomb explosion in a busy cafe in central Damascus killed at least nine people and wounded 22 others, Syrian state media says.

The Interior Ministry said an explosive device was placed inside the cafe, which is located just 100 meters (330 feet) from the Palace of Justice, a major government building in the capital’s Hejaz district.

There was no immediate claim from any group for the attack.

It was the deadliest bombing in Damascus since a suicide attack on a church in June 2025 killed 25 people.

A shadowy jihadist group, Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah, said it was behind that attack, but authorities blamed the Islamic State (IS) group.

Mohammed al-Dahabi, owner of a glasses shop next to the cafe, said Thursday’s bombing was reminiscent of those seen in Damascus during Syria’s civil war.

“I felt strong pressure and the whole place shook,” he told the AFP news agency. “I ran to the scene and saw people lying on the ground with blood pooling around them everywhere.”

Graphic video footage posted on social media showed at least two men lying motionless on the floor of the cafe’s outdoor terrace.

During a visit to the site, Damascus Governor Maher Marwan Idlibi said those responsible for the bloodshed would be punished.

“Every time the country experiences a period of stability, malicious parties try to destabilize it,” he added.

There have been several attacks in Damascus since Islamist-led rebel forces overthrew Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, ending 13 years of devastating civil war.

Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa has struggled to consolidate control over the entire country and restore security since coming to power.

There have been several episodes of deadly sectarian fighting between government forces and members of Syria’s Alawite and Druze religious minorities.