Suicide bombing at Damascus church kills 20

A suicide bombing occurred at Mar Elias Church in the Dweila neighborhood of the Syrian capital Damascus on Sunday (June 22), killing at least 20 people and injuring dozens of others, health and security sources said.

According to Reuters, this was the first suicide bombing in Damascus since Bashar al-Assad was overthrown by Islamist armed rebels in December last year.

The Syrian Interior Ministry said the attacker was a member of the Islamic State. The man broke into the church, shot first, and then detonated the explosive vest on his body.

An unnamed security source said there were two men involved in the attack, one of whom detonated the bomb. Another security source said that the Islamic State had tried to attack Syrian churches many times since Assad stepped down, but this was the first time it succeeded.

The Syrian state news agency quoted the health ministry as saying that the explosion also injured 52 people.

The live broadcast of the Syrian Civil Defense Organization “White Helmets” at the scene showed that the interior of the church was in a mess, the floor was stained with blood, and the benches and walls were seriously damaged.

The current Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who succeeded Assad in January last year and led the transition period, has repeatedly stated that he will protect religious minorities.

The Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement saying: “We strongly condemn the abominable terrorist suicide bombing at the Mar Elijah Greek Orthodox Church in Damascus, Syria.”

“We call on the Syrian transitional authorities to take immediate action to hold those responsible accountable and take measures to ensure the safety of the Christian community and all religious groups so that they can live without fear.”

The “Islamic State” has also attacked religious minorities many times in the past, including a major bombing of Shiite pilgrims in Sayeda Zainab in 2016, which was also one of the most notorious bombings during Assad’s rule.

The attack highlighted the Islamic State’s ability to exploit security gaps and carry out attacks despite losses of territory and years of counterterrorism crackdowns.