At least 20 people were killed and more than 50 wounds on Sunday when a suicide terrorist detonated his vest inside the Mar Elias church in the Dweila neighborhood of Damascus, the Syrian capital, according to health officials and security sources.
The bombing, which marks the first suicide attack in Damascus since President Bashar al-Assad was expelled by a rebellion led by Islamist in December, has revived concerns about the fragile security situation in the country.
According to Reuters, the Syrian Interior Ministry identified the attacker as a member of the Islamic State, saying that he opened fire inside the Church before exploiting.
A security source revealed that two men were involved in the operation, although only one managed to detonate explosives. Another security official told Reuters that the Islamic State had tried to attack the churches several times since the fall of Assad, but this was the first successful strike.
The explosion, which left destroyed banks and blood -stained floors, was captured in a live broadcast by Syria's civil defense group, white helmets.
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According to the State News Agency of Syria, the Ministry of Health confirmed that 52 people suffered wounds in the explosion.
President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who assumed the position in January after Assad's demolition, had pledged to safeguard religious minorities in the country. The attack has drawn international conviction, even from Greece.
“We unequivocally condemn the bombardment of terrorist suicide at the Greek Orthodox Church Mar Elias in Damascus, Syria,” said the Ministry of Greek Foreign Affairs, asking Syrian transition authorities to act quickly to guarantee the safety of Christian communities and other religious.
The Islamic State has previously attacked religious minorities in Syria, including a mortal bombing in 2016 on Shiite pilgrims in Sayeda Zainab. Despite losing territorial control and sustained terrorism campaigns, the group's ability to exploit security lapses remains a significant threat.
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