Victims of an explosive device explosion near the Justice Palace in Damascus

5 civilians were killed  and 16 others were injured in the explosion of an explosive device on Thursday afternoon,  July 2, inside the "Al-Mushiriya" café near the old judicial palace on Al-Nasr Street in Damascus.

According to security sources, the explosion was caused by an explosive device planted by unknown persons inside the café and detonated during rush hour, which led to casualties and widespread destruction in the place.

The director of the ambulance and emergency, Ahmed al-Bakour, said that 14 cases were transferred to Al-Mujtahid Hospital, including 4 deaths, in addition to one injury that was transferred to the Syrian Red Crescent Hospital, before medical sources later announced  that the final toll reached 5 deaths and 16 injuries.

The sources explained that 5 of the injured are in critical condition suffering from shrapnel wounds and second- and third-degree burns, while the rest of the injuries range from moderate to light and include fractures, cut wounds, and bruises.

Interior: Tight cordon around the blast site

The Internal Security Forces imposed a tight cordon around the site of the explosion and evacuated the perimeter to facilitate the movement of ambulances and civil defense, while Ministry of Interior units and explosives experts began their immediate investigations to remove forensic evidence, according to a statement published by the Ministry of Interior through its official identifiers.

"Units of the Ministry of Interior began their field procedures following the explosion of an explosive device inside a café in the Hijaz area of the capital Damascus, which resulted in deaths and a number of injuries as a preliminary toll," the Interior Ministry statement said.

He added:  "Patrols of the Internal Security Forces and ambulance teams went to the scene of the incident immediately after receiving the report, to work on evacuating the injured and providing the necessary aid, and took the initiative to impose a security cordon to ensure the safety of citizens and secure the entire perimeter of the site."

Sources suggest that the explosive device was detonated remotely

Sources from the site of the explosion told "Syrian News" that the initial inspection confirms that the explosive device was detonated remotely using a cellular SIM card to adjust the timing during the crowding of the café.

The sources said that the security services  have unloaded the recordings of surveillance cameras in the vicinity of the café, shops and the judicial palace to identify the person who entered the place and left the explosive object, and the testimonies of the café workers and witnesses who were present before the explosion are being scrutinized.

The precautionary measures included the implementation of extensive searches in the Hijaz region and neighboring markets, in anticipation of the presence of other suspicious objects, while medical staff continue to be fully alerted in operating rooms and intensive care to ensure the control of critical cases.