Damascus Bombing Kills 6 Near Courthouse Hearing Cases Against Former Assad Officials
Rizik Alabi / The Media Line
[DAMASCUS] A bomb blast at a cafe near the Palace of Justice in central Damascus killed at least six people and injured 22 on Thursday, according to Syrian authorities. The Interior Ministry said preliminary findings indicated that the explosion was caused by an improvised explosive device planted at the site, and no group immediately claimed responsibility.
The attack took place near one of the capital’s main judicial buildings, an area that has recently drawn attention because of high-profile cases tied to Syria’s post-Assad transition. Authorities have not announced evidence linking the bombing to those proceedings, and the investigation is ongoing.
A source at the Ministry of Justice told The Media Line that all six people killed in the explosion were lawyers: Mohannad Khalaf, Mahmoud Shehab, Eid Mohammad, Fathi Al-Qabbani, Mohammad Shamali, and Hossam Al-Safadi. The source added that those injured also included several lawyers working in the area.
The bombing ranks among the deadliest security incidents to hit Damascus in recent months.
Speaking to The Media Line, Damascus Governor Maher Marwan Edlbi said authorities launched an investigation immediately after the explosion. He stressed that those responsible would be identified and brought before the courts, adding that such attacks would not succeed in destabilizing the capital or disrupting state institutions.
The Interior Ministry noted that that initial evidence does not suggest the attacker was a suicide bomber and said that security services are continuing to collect evidence and analyze the scene to identify the perpetrators.
The injured were transferred to hospitals across Damascus. Nurse Amna Madour, who works at Al-Mouwasat Hospital, told The Media Line that most of the victims admitted to the hospital had suffered shrapnel wounds, adding that the nature of the injuries strongly suggested they were caused by an explosive device.
In recent months, the court has hosted criminal proceedings against Wassim al-Assad, a cousin of former President Bashar Assad. Judicial proceedings have also begun against former Grand Mufti Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun over allegations related to incitement and his role during the conflict.
In addition, prosecutors have opened cases involving former security official Atef Najib, known for his alleged involvement in the arrest and torture of schoolchildren in Daraa in 2011—an incident widely regarded as the spark that ignited the Syrian uprising.
Political activist Wael Al-Khalidi told The Media Line that the choice of location could not be separated from the symbolic importance the Palace of Justice has acquired in recent months. While emphasizing that investigations are still ongoing, he said it was possible the perpetrators belonged to remnants of the former regime.
According to Al-Khalidi, the courthouse has become a symbol for many Syrians seeking accountability for figures accused of widespread human rights abuses. He argued that the attack may have been meant to intimidate the public and undermine confidence in Syria’s transitional justice process. He said it would also signal that forces opposed to accountability remain capable of carrying out violent attacks.
He added that any attempt to intimidate judges, lawyers, or the public would ultimately fail, noting that Syria has entered a new political and judicial phase in which accountability and the rule of law have become central pillars of the country’s future. He said the current stage requires strengthening judicial institutions rather than allowing acts of violence to derail them.
For many Syrians, the significance of the blast lies not only in the casualties it caused, but in where it happened: near a courthouse that has come to symbolize the country’s search for justice after the fall of the Assad regime.
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