On Thursday a bomb ripped through crowded cafe in central Damascus, killing at least nine people and wounding 22 others, in an attack very near the main entrance of the Palace of Justice - in an area frequented by lawyers, courthouse employees and visitors.
Al Jazeera correspondent Obaida Hitto, who reported from the scene in the aftermath, stated that "The casualties are higher because it is such a busy area." The death toll could rise given that many bystanders are being treated for severe injuries at a Damascus hospital - some in critical condition.
The target was a well-known gathering place for attorneys. "According to lawyers' groups on social media, the names of six lawyers who were killed have been identified, while eight others were injured in the blast," Mohammed al-Tawil, head of the Syrian Bar Association, told Germany's dpa.
via Associated PressAnd per the NY Times, "Syria’s interior ministry said the blast, near the main courthouse complex in Damascus, had been caused by an explosive device but did not say who was responsible."
The reported noted, "State media published images of b
