The Diplomat
The Spanish government has “strongly” condemned the bomb attack carried out this Thursday against a cafe near the Palace of Justice in Damascus, which has killed at least nine people and injured 22 others.
“The Spanish government strongly condemns the attack in Damascus that has caused the loss of human lives and numerous injuries,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared this Friday in a statement. Furthermore, it continued, the government “extends its deepest condolences to the families of the victims and its solidarity and wishes for a speedy recovery to all the injured.”
“Spain reaffirms its support for the sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity of Syria, and reiterates its support for a peaceful and inclusive political transition, in accordance with the legitimate aspirations of all the Syrian people,” the Ministry stated.
“The Government of Spain reiterates its support for regional and international efforts aimed at stabilization, economic recovery, and institutional strengthening, with the goal of advancing toward a future of security and prosperity for the country, as well as its condemnation of any attempt at destabilization that undermines peace efforts and threatens the security of Syria and the region,” it concluded.
According to the Syrian Ministry of the Interior, cited by the state news agency SANA, the explosion killed nine civilians and injured about twenty, in addition to causing significant material damage. Preliminary investigations conclude that the explosion was caused by an improvised explosive device (IED) weighing approximately one kilogram and filled with metal fragments.
Damascus has suffered several incidents since the overthrow of former President Bashar al-Assad in December 2014 and the rise to power of the Salafist coalition led by Ahmad al-Sharaa. On May 19, a soldier was killed by a car bomb explosion near the Old City, in front of the Ministry of Defense.
This latest attack, for which no group has yet claimed responsibility, coincided with a visit by Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani to Lebanon to strengthen bilateral relations and with the formation of the country’s first parliament since the fall of al-Assad.
Thursday’s attack is the deadliest in the Syrian capital since the June 2015 attack on a church, which left 25 dead and was claimed by a Sunni Islamist group, although authorities attributed it to the Islamic State (ISIS).
