A bomb attack on a cafe near the Palace of Justice in central Damascus on 2 July killed at least 10 people and wounded 21, according to the Syrian health ministry, making it the deadliest such incident in the capital in over a year. The Syrian interior ministry stated that the explosion, caused by a primitive one-kilogramme improvised explosive device packed with metal fragments, struck a popular gathering spot for lawyers in the bustling Midan district. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, which the ministry described as a “terrorist” act, and investigators are reviewing surveillance footage and witness statements to identify the perpetrators.

Regional reactions were swift and pointed. Egyptian businessman Naguib Sawiris, writing on the social media platform X, asserted that “only the tails of the former regime” could be behind attempts to derail Syria’s post-revolution transition. The Lebanese foreign ministry condemned the bombing “in the strongest terms,” expressing full solidarity with Syria and noting that the location near the Palace of Justice carried “dangerous symbolism” suggesting a deliberate strike against the rule of law. The Arab Parliament and Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry issued separate statements denouncing the violence and reaffirming support for Syria’s stability, while calling for intensified regional cooperation against terrorism.

The bombing is the latest in a series of security breaches since an Islamist-led coalition overthrew the Assad government in December 2024. In June 2025, a suicide attack on a church in a Damascus suburb killed 25 people; authorities blamed Islamic State (IS) cells, though a Sunni fundamentalist group claimed it. A car bomb killed a soldier in the capital in May 2026. Western and regional security assessments, cited by Le Figaro, note that IS retains dormant cells and has called for defiance against the new authorities. On 3 July, a separate incident at a checkpoint in the Damascus suburb of Jaramana left three security personnel wounded when a wanted criminal threw hand grenades before a third device detonated in his hand, killing him. Syrian state media reported the man was sought for murder and drug trafficking, and a second suspect was arrested.

Viewed from European and Arab capitals, the succession of attacks underscores the fragility of the security environment as the new administration attempts to unify the country and rebuild institutions. While international partners have voiced solidarity, the persistence of both jihadist networks and possible loyalist remnants poses a direct challenge to the government’s authority. The interior ministry has pledged that those behind the cafe bombing “will be pursued and brought to justice,” but no arrests have been announced and the investigation remains open.