A bomb explodes at a cafe in Damascus, Syria, killing nine people and injuring 20 others, according to Syrian authorities and the health ministry. The blast occurs on Thursday in a crowded area near the Palace of Justice, a government site in the capital, and triggers panic as emergency responders move through the scene. Reporting from multiple outlets describes the attack as the deadliest since a prior suicide attack on a church last year. No group claims responsibility immediately after the explosion, and authorities have not publicly linked the attack to a specific party. The incident adds to continuing security challenges in Syria as authorities seek stability following more than a decade of war. While the exact nature of the device is described as an explosive device or bomb in the accounts, details about how it was carried out and the identities of the victims are not included in the provided reports.