A bomb blast at a crowded cafe in central Damascus has killed at least nine people and injured 22 others, Syrian state media say.

The interior ministry said an explosive device was planted inside the cafe, which is located only 100m (330ft) from the Palace of Justice, a major government building in the capital’s Hejaz district.

There was no immediate claim from any group for the attack.

It was the deadliest bombing in Damascus since a suicide attack on a church in June 2025 killed 25 people.

A shadowy jihadist group, Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah, said it was behind that bombing, but authorities blamed the Islamic State (IS) group.

Mohammed al-Dahabi, the owner of a glasses shop located next to the cafe, said Thursday’s bombing was reminiscent of those seen in Damascus during Syria’s civil war.

“I felt strong pressure, and the whole place shook,” he told the AFP news agency. “I ran to the place and saw people lying on the floor with blood pooled around them everywhere.”

Graphic video footage posted on social media showed at least two men lying motionless on the floor of the cafe’s outdoor terrace.

During a visit to the scene, Damascus Governor Maher Marwan Idlibi said those responsible for the bloodshed would be punished.

“Each time the country sees a period of stability, malicious parties try to destabilise it,” he added.

There have been several attacks in Damascus since Islamist-led rebel forces overthrew Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, ending 13 years of devastating civil war.

Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa has struggled to consolidate control over the whole country and restore security since he came to power.

There have been several bouts of deadly sectarian fighting between government forces and members of Syria’s Alawite and Druze religious minorities.