Damascus Cafe Attack
Damascus Cafe Blast Kills Nine; Officials Vow Justice as Investigations Continue
Mourners in Damascus buried victims of a deadly cafe bombing on Friday, one day after an explosive device killed nine people and wounded 20 more at a cafe in the Syrian capital, according to AP News. A funeral procession carried the coffins of three of the victims through the streets, as Syrian officials vowed to hunt down those responsible.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. The blast struck the Midan neighborhood on Thursday, KTVB reported. Investigators have not publicly announced any suspects or arrests.
Nine Dead After Bomb Rips Through Damascus Cafe
The explosion tore through the cafe in Midan, a Damascus neighborhood, on Thursday, according to AP News. Nine people died and 20 others were hurt. The funeral procession on Friday carried three of the victims' coffins. Officials at the scene promised justice for the families of those killed.
Syrian officials pledged to arrest the perpetrators, Winnipeg Free Press reported. However, no updates on any arrests or leads in the investigation have been made public. The identity of who planted the device remains unknown.
Second Attack Hits Checkpoint in Damascus Suburb
The cafe bombing was not the only attack in the Damascus area. Three members of Syrian security forces were wounded in a separate attack on a checkpoint in Jaramana, a suburb of Damascus, according to AP News. The two attacks happened within a short time of each other.
Jaramana is home to a large population of religious minorities. The back-to-back attacks raised fears of a broader campaign of violence targeting minority communities in and around the capital, The Independent reported.
Islamic State Suspected of Targeting Religious Minorities
Suspicion has fallen on the Islamic State group, also known as ISIS. The group has a history of targeting religious minorities in Syria, according to AP News. Both attacks — the cafe blast and the checkpoint attack — fit that pattern. Officials have not formally named ISIS as a suspect.
Syria's new authorities have faced growing pressure to protect minority communities since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's government. The Midan attack is among the deadliest in Damascus in recent months. Officials have not said whether the two attacks on Thursday were coordinated, The Independent reported.
Officials Promise Justice but Offer No Timeline
Syrian authorities made strong public statements after the bombing. They promised to bring the killers to justice, according to Yahoo News. But they gave no timeline and shared no details about the state of the investigation. Families of the victims gathered Friday to mourn and bury their dead.
The lack of a claim of responsibility makes the investigation harder, security analysts say. With no group stepping forward, authorities must piece together evidence from the blast site. The attack has put pressure on Syria's new leadership to show it can keep the capital safe, Winnipeg Free Press reported.
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