A bomb tore through a crowded cafe in central Damascus on Thursday, and the death toll climbed through the afternoon.
The first report, carried by Syrian state broadcaster Alikhbariah TV, spoke only of several people injured. Within hours the Syrian Health Ministry put the count at 5 killed and 16 injured. By evening it stood at 6 killed and 22 injured.
The cafe sits on Al-Nasr Street, about 100 meters (330 feet) from the Palace of Justice, a major government building, in the Hicaz district. The Syrian Interior Ministry said an explosive device had been planted inside.
Ahmed Bakour, who directs the Health Ministry's ambulance department, said all the wounded were moved to several Damascus hospitals.
No group has claimed responsibility. Syrian authorities have opened an investigation, and the search for who did it is still where the story is thinnest.
Türkiye's Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the attack, extended condolences to the victims' families and the Syrian people, and wished the wounded a quick recovery. It said Ankara is confident the best answer to attempts at destabilizing Syria will come from Syrians themselves, and that "Türkiye will continue to stand in solidarity with Syria throughout this process."
That line carries the weight of Türkiye's whole Syria policy. Ankara has bet on the survival of the transition that replaced Bashar al-Assad, and a bombing in the heart of the capital tests the bet directly.
Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa has struggled to consolidate control since Islamist-led rebel forces overthrew Assad in December 2024, and Damascus has seen a run of attacks in that time. Thursday's blast was the deadliest in the capital since a suicide attack on a church in June 2025 killed 25 people.
Damascus Governor Maher Marwan Idlibi visited the site and vowed that those responsible would be punished. Malicious parties try to shake the country each time it finds some stability, he said.
Mohammed al-Dahabi, who owns a glasses shop next to the cafe, told AFP the scene brought back Syria's civil war years. "I felt strong pressure, and the whole place shook," he said. "I ran to the place and saw people lying on the floor with blood pooled around them everywhere."
The condemnation came in quickly from beyond Türkiye. UN Secretary-General António Guterres voiced deep concern through his spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, and said attacks on civilians are unacceptable and those behind them must face justice. Jordan called it a terrorist bombing. Qatar, Egypt, and Iraq each denounced it and reaffirmed their backing for Syria's stability.