Death toll rises to 9 in bomb attack on cafe in Damascus.

As a result of the bomb attack carried out on Thursday at a public cafe located in the Hevraz region in the center of Damascus, the capital of Syria, the casualties were updated to 9 dead and 19 wounded. In their statements to the German News Agency (dpa), Damascus Health Directorate sources confirmed the latest death and injury toll, noting that health teams experienced serious logistical difficulties in reaching the scene due to the initial chaos and the dense crowd in the region. The intensity of civilian and vehicle traffic on the street, which is particularly close to the Palace of Justice, delayed the arrival of first response teams to the areas with loss and the establishment of a safe corridor.

The selection of the venue targeted in the attack is of great importance in a strategic context. The Head of the Syria Bar Association, Muhammed et-Tavil, emphasized that the cafe where the attack took place was a resting area frequently used by lawyers and judges due to its proximity to the courthouse complex right next to it. This situation shows that the attack aimed to strike a psychological and physical blow to the system by directly targeting lawyers, who are part of the justice mechanism, as well as civilians. In statements made on social media, professional organizations announced that there were 6 lawyers among the deceased and 8 lawyers were injured, revealing the magnitude of the blow to the legal community.

Information regarding the technical details of the attack paints a horrific picture of how the incident was carried out. Citing statements from Damascus Internal Security Commander Major General Usame Atike, Syrian official television reported that the explosion occurred thanks to a bomb trap meticulously placed on the floor of the cafe. It was determined that the device placed was positioned to directly target the customers and visitors in the venue, aiming to create maximum human loss and damage. Initial investigations revealed that the attack was carried out within an organized and professional plan, and that the lethal power was entirely focused on the civilian population.

Security measures at the scene and investigation processes were immediately raised to the highest level. Major General Atike stated that immediately after the explosion, engineering units launched a wide-scale sweep activity accompanied by specially trained bomb-sniffing dogs (K9), and checked whether there was any second explosive device or suspicious substance in the region. In addition, it was stated that special operations teams were deployed intensively in the region against the possibility of new attacks, and the surroundings of the security area, including the courthouse, were completely closed off, and search, sweep, and examination work continued uninterrupted.

While official reactions to the attack came in harsh terms, a message was given that the perpetrators would be pursued until the conclusion of the investigation. Damascus Governor Mahir İdlibi stated in his announcement that there were 'malicious parties' waiting for an opportunity who target the country's stability, arguing that this attack was not a random act but part of a plan to disrupt the peace of the region. Emphasizing that everyone who touches the blood of Syrians will be held accountable before justice and punished in the harshest way with legal justification, İdlibi added that security forces were tightening security measures day by day and ensuring the safety of citizens and state institutions in the capital.