Twenty killed in suicide bombing at Damascus church

23/6/2025 6:12

At least 20 people were killed and

dozens injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up at the Mar

Elias Church in the Dweila neighborhood of Syria's capital

Damascus on Sunday, health authorities and security sources

said.



It was the first suicide bombing in Damascus since Bashar

al-Assad was toppled by an Islamist-led rebel insurgency in

December.



Syria's interior ministry said the suicide bomber was a

member of Islamic State. He entered the church, opened fire and

then detonated his explosive vest, a ministry statement added.



A security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said

two men were involved in the attack, including the one who blew

himself up.



Islamic State has been behind several attempted attacks on

churches in Syria since Assad's fall, but this was the first to

succeed, another security source told Reuters.



Syria's state news agency cited the health ministry as

saying that 52 people were also injured in the blast.



A livestream from the site by Syria's civil defence, the

White Helmets, showed scenes of destruction from inside the

church, including a bloodied floor and shattered pews and

masonry.



Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who led the offensive

against Assad before taking over in January for a transitional

phase, has repeatedly said he will protect minorities.



"We unequivocally condemn the abhorrent terrorist suicide

bombing at the Mar Elias Greek Orthodox Church in Damascus,

Syria," the Greek foreign ministry said in a statement.



"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."



Islamic State had previously targeted religious minorities,

including a major attack on Shiite pilgrims in Sayeda Zainab in

2016 — one of the most notorious bombings during Assad's rule.



The latest assault underscores the group's continued

ability to exploit security gaps despite the collapse of its

territorial control and years of counterterrorism efforts.