An explosion in a central Damascus cafe on Thursday that killed five people and wounded 11 was caused by an explosive device, Syrian state television said.
“The explosion that occurred in a cafe near the Palace of Justice in Damascus resulted from an explosive device planted in the location,” state television said, after earlier reporting that authorities were seeking to determine the source of the blast.
The head of emergency services in Syria‘s health ministry, Ahmed al-Bakour, gave the toll in statements carried by the state news agency SANA.
State television earlier said the blast happened near the Palace of Justice in the Syrian capital.
Security forces rushed to the cafe and cordoned off the area. An AFP correspondent saw an ambulance transporting victims after the explosion.
FRANCE 24’s Wassim Nasr posted a video to social media showing the scene on the ground in the wake of the explosion.
Another video circulating on social media showed several injured people lying on the floor, with police officers nearby.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and AP)
