A suicide bomber struck a church in Syria, killing at least 20 people, including several children, and injuring over 50 others.
Syrian state media reported that an attacker opened fire inside a busy Greek Orthodox church in Dweil’a, on the outskirts of Damascus, before detonating an explosive vest on Sunday, June 22.
According to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), the country’s Health Ministry confirmed that at least 20 people were killed and 53 others were injured inside Mar Elias Church.
Local media outlets also reported that children were among those killed.
Syrian Information Minister Hamza Mostafa condemned the bombing as a terrorist attack, according to the Associated Press.
“This cowardly act goes against the civic values that bring us together,” he wrote in a letter to X. “We remain committed to equal citizenship… We also affirm the state’s pledge to use all of its resources to combat criminal organizations and protect society from all attacks that threaten its safety.”
According to AP, no group immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing, but Syria’s interior ministry confirmed that the suicide bomber was a member of the Islamic State.
According to Reuters and AP, the attack occurred after interim Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa stated that he will act to protect minority groups in the country following the overthrow of former President Bashar al-Assad’s government in December 2024.
According to one witness who spoke with the AP and a Syrian security source who spoke with Reuters, a second man was believed to be involved in the attack.
The Greek foreign ministry also condemned the attack, telling Reuters: “We unequivocally condemn the abhorrent terrorist suicide bombing at the Mar Elias Greek Orthodox Church in Damascus, Syria.”
“We demand that the Syrian transitional authorities take immediate action to hold those involved accountable and implement measures to guarantee the safety of Christian communities and all religious groups, allowing them to live without fear,” according to the statement.
Witnesses told the Associated Press that the gunman entered the church during mass with his face covered and began firing a gun. People inside the church charged at the shooter, attempting to force him outside, after which he detonated his explosives near the building’s entrance.
“People were praying safely under the eyes of God,” Father Fadi Ghattas told the Associated Press, adding that he witnessed at least 20 deaths. “There were 350 people praying at the church.”
Photographs taken in the aftermath of the attack show emergency personnel from the Syrian Civil Defense — whose emergency teams are widely known as the White Helmets, according to the BBC — assisting injured people into ambulances.
A bystander, Issam Nasr, who was praying at the church, told the outlet that he saw people “blown to bits.”
“We have never handled a knife in our lives. “All we ever carried was our prayers,” he explained.
