Suicide bomb attack on Syrian church kills at least 20
DAMASCUS
Syria's health ministry said an attack on a church in Damascus on June 22 killed 20 people, state media reported, raising an earlier civil defence toll of 15 dead.
"The number of victims in the terrorist attack that targeted the Saint Elias church in the Dwelaa area of Damascus has risen to 20 dead and 52 wounded," said a health ministry statement carried by state news agency SANA.
A suicide bomber detonated himself inside a Greek Orthodox church filled with people.The explosion in Dwelaa in the outskirts of Damascus took place as people were praying inside the Mar Elias Church.
No group immediately claimed responsibility, but the Syrian Interior Ministry said an extremist from ISIL entered the church, fired at the people there before detonating himself with an explosives vest, echoing some witness testimonies.
Syrian Information Minister Hamza Mostafa condemned the attack, calling it a terrorist attack.
“This cowardly act goes against the civic values that brings us together,” he said on X. “We will not back down from our commitment to equal citizenship … and we also affirm the state’s pledge to exert all its efforts to combat criminal organizations and to protect society from all attacks threatening its safety.”
Church Bishop Moussa Khoury said the attacker also threw a grenade into the church during the afternoon Mass.
“He started shooting, went and then he blew up the church,” he told The Associated Press.
A witness who identified himself as Rawad told AP he saw the attacker who was accompanied by two others who fled as he was driving near the church.
“He was shooting at the church … he then went inside the church and blew himself up,” he said.
However, Meletius Shahati, a church priest, said there was a second gunman who shot at the church door before the other person detonated himself.
Security forces and first-responders rushed to the church. Panicked survivors wailed, as one lady fell to her knees and burst into tears. A photo circulated by Syrian state media SANA showed the church's pews covered in debris and blood.
The incident comes just weeks after Syria's Interior Ministry announced the uncovering of ISIL cells in rural Damascus on May 26. During the raid, authorities said they seized light- and medium-sized weapons.
Since the fall of the Assad regime, Syria’s security services have continued to pursue individuals accused of involvement in crimes, human rights violations, and terrorism-related activities.
Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia in December, ending the Baath Party’s regime, which had been in power since 1963.
Ahmad Al-Sharaa, who led anti-regime forces to oust Assad, was declared president for a transitional period in January.
