Pakistan, July 4 -- A bomb blast rocked a cafe in Syria's capital Damascus on Thursday, killing nine people and wounding 20, authorities said, in the latest challenge for the country's Islamist leaders as they seek stability after more than a decade of war.

The bombing - the deadliest since a suicide attack on a church last year - was not immediately claimed.

It took place near the capital's Palace of Justice, a key government building, sparking scenes of panic in the busy area.

An AFP correspondent saw ambulances weaving through traffic with their sirens blaring as they headed to the site, and security forces cordoned off the area of the blast.

"The explosion that occurred in a cafe near the Palace of Justice in Damascus resulted fro...