Mourners bury victims of Damascus cafe bombing with six lawyers among dead

Syrian Bar Association mourns six lawyers amid international condemnation of Thursday’s attack in Damascus.Syrians have filed through the capital, Damascus, to mourn the victims of a bomb blast that ripped through a cafe, near the Palace of Justice, killing 10 people, including six lawyers.The funeral procession in the normally bustling Midan neighbourhood saw mourners on Friday carry the coffins of three of the dead, as they were laid to rest.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3At least nine killed in explosion at central Damascus cafelist 2 of 3US wants intervention, but Syria signals diplomacy after FM’s Lebanon triplist 3 of 3What’s behind the deadly bombing of a crowded Damascus cafe?end of listThursday’s blast, which also wounded 22 people, targeted the Al-Mushairiya Cafe on al-Nasr Street in the al-Hijaz district. The cafe, located some 70 metres (230 feet) from the Palace of Justice, where several high-profile cases have been held, was a popular gathering spot for legal professionals and court visitors.Damascus Governor Maher Marwan described the device as “primitive” and promised that perpetrators would face justice.Six lawyers were among the dead, according to local media. The independent Syrian news outlet Zaman al-Wasl named the lawyers as Muhannad Khalaf, Zuhair Askar, Hossam al-Safadi, Mahmoud al-Shamali, Muhammad Ali al-Shihab, and Eid Muhammad Awad.The Syrian Bar Association issued a statement mourning “a constellation of its fellow lawyers who were martyred”. It said the lawyers “left us while performing their mission in the justice system” and extended its condolences to their families.Lawyer Eid Muhammad, a father of six daughters from the village of al-Hajjah in the Quneitra countryside, was reportedly reviewing legal documents at the cafe when the explosion struck. He was the sole breadwinner for his family.