An explosion ripped through a cafe in the Syrian capital of Damascus on Thursday, killing at least five people and injuring 16, according to the Syrian Ministry of Health. Authorities believe that the blast was caused by a bomb.

The explosion took place shortly after 3 PM local time at a cafe in the al-Marjah district, Syrian state media reported. At the nearby Palace of Justice, trials had recently been held for several members of former President Bashar Assad’s government.

The blast was caused by an explosive device. Security forces cordoned off the area afterwards, fearing a potential second explosion, according to state television. Security sources told Al Jazeera that a man had entered the busy cafe, placed an improvised explosive device under a table, and left in the direction of the palace.

Exclusive RT video footage captured the aftermath of the blast, as armed security forces and rescuers descended on the scene.

Damascus has been rocked by regular attacks since jihadist leader Ahmed al-Sharaa ousted Assad and seized control of Syria in December 2024. Last month, a car bomb killed one Syrian soldier and wounded at least 18 other people outside a Defense Ministry building in the city.

While it is unclear who was behind Thursday’s attack, al-Sharaa’s government has been battling the re-emergence of multiple armed groups – including ISIS and Druze militias – in the countryside south of Damascus.

“The coming hours will reveal everything and those who shed the blood of Syrians will pay,” Damascus Governor Maher Marwan told Al Jazeera. “This will not shake the Syrian state.”