The Syrian Interior Ministry said a preliminary investigation determined that the explosion at a Damascus cafe Thursday evening was caused by a one-kilogram improvised bomb packed with metal shrapnel, killing nine civilians and wounding 20 others. The investigation is ongoing.
The Syrian Interior Ministry confirmed early Friday that the explosion at a Damascus cafe on Thursday evening was caused by a one-kilogram improvised explosive device packed with metal shrapnel, killing nine civilians and wounding 20 others. The ministry described the finding as based on a preliminary investigation, which is ongoing. The statement marks the first official attribution of the blast to a planted bomb, after initial reports had described the event as a suicide bombing.
The story unfolded rapidly on Thursday. At 15:33 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported unverified accounts of multiple casualties at a cafe near the Justice Palace. Over the following hours, the death toll climbed from four to seven, with the Damascus governor telling state television that the device was "primitive." By 00:52 Jerusalem Friday, Syrian state media confirmed the toll had reached nine. The initial reports, including an article published at 16:03 Jerusalem, had characterized the attack as a suicide bombing; the Interior Ministry's updated finding now attributes the explosion to a planted IED.
The attack occurred one day after a new Syrian government was sworn in, at a location known as a meeting spot for Supreme Court justices, as The Zioneer reported. No group has claimed responsibility, and the investigation remains open.
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