Damascus mourners bury cafe blast victims; officials vow justice

Mourners in Damascus' Midan neighborhood held a funeral procession on Friday for three victims of a bomb blast that occurred in a cafe the previous day. Syria's Health Ministry raised the death toll from nine to 10 on Friday. The explosion took place at a popular cafe near the main judicial complex, often frequented by lawyers. Among the dead was Fathi Qabbani, a married father of one, who worked at a nearby shop and was passing by the cafe at the time of the blast. His brother, Bahaa Qabbani, called the perpetrators "a group of terrorists who are against the homeland" and urged security forces to "take hold of the country with an iron fist." Although no group has claimed responsibility, many quickly blamed loyalists of former President Bashar al-Assad, who was ousted in December 2024. During the procession, some mourners chanted, "The people want remnants of the former regime to be executed." Separately, Syria's state news agency SANA reported that three security force members were wounded in a checkpoint attack at the entrance to the Damascus suburb of Jaramana. A man on a motorcycle threw two hand grenades at guards and attempted to throw a third, which exploded in his hand, killing him. Another person was arrested in connection with that attack. Since overthrowing the Assad dynasty, Syria's new rulers have struggled to assert control and curb extremist groups. Deadly attacks attributed to the Islamic State group have targeted religious minorities, including a suicide bombing at a church in a Damascus suburb and a bomb set off in a mosque in a predominantly Alawite area in Homs.