BREAKING,
Blast at a cafe in Damascus reportedly kills five and wounds more than a dozen people.
An explosion at a cafe in central Damascus has killed at least five people and injured 16, according to Syria’s Ministry of Health.
The explosion was reported at around 3:24pm local time (12:24 GMT) inside a cafe on al-Nasser Street in the al-Marjah district, close to the Palace of Justice, according to Syrian state media.
An Al Jazeera correspondent in Damascus said Syrian security forces had cordoned off the site.
Syrian state television said the blast was caused by an explosive device.
Syrian news service SANA said authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the explosion.
Footage from the site showed severe damage to the cafe with blood smeared on the floor.
“Traces of blood are all over the ground, the Interior Ministry is trying to gather evidence to see who is responsible,” said Milad Fadl, Al Jazeera’s Syria correspondent.
“Residents in the area gave first aid to the injured until the ambulances arrived.”
Security forces have cordoned off the area, fearing a secondary explosion.
The nearby Palace of Justice has held trials for high-profile members of the former al-Assad government.
Maher Marwan, the governor of Damascus, said that the security situation in the capital has improved in recent month but it will take time for the Syrian state to guarantee complete stability.
“The more Syria attains stability the more there are those who want to damage it,” Marwan told press near the site of the explosion.
“The coming hours will reveal everything and those who shed the blood of Syrians will pay but Syria will be well as long as we are one hand and this will not shake the Syrian state,” he said.
