The number of fatalities from the explosion which took place in a cafe near the courthouse in Damascus on July 2 has increased to 11, all lawyers. The number of fatalities is expected to increase further, as the explosion left nearly 20 other people, including lawyers, injured, some seriously.
According to sources and witnesses, conflicting stories circulated regarding the nature of the attack, where some testimonies suggested that the explosion was caused by an IED planted inside a cafe frequented mainly by lawyers and visitors of the Palace of Justice, while others suggested that the attack was carried out by suicidal bombers.
According to these testimonies, the attack started with an explosion targeting the cafe near the Palace of Justice leaving casualties, before a number of the assailants attempted to storm the building of the Palace of Justice, where security forces managed to stop some of them while one of the assailants managed to enter the building, causing panic among judges and employees.
Moreover, the authorities rushed to evacuate the building of the Palace of Justice through a side door, and completely closed the building as precautionary procedure in fear of additional attacks or explosions.
Following the attack, the security forces imposed a tightened security cordon in the vicinity of the area, while ambulance and Civil Defence teams rushed to the area to move injured people to hospitals and retrieve the bodies.
Details remain unclear regarding the identity of the assailants or details of the attack, while the fate of the attackers remain unknown.
