A suicide bombing struck a Greek Orthodox church in Damascus on June 22, killing at least 22 people and injuring 63 others, in the deadliest terrorist attack in the capital since the fall of former president Bashar al-Assad in December.
The terrorist, identified by Syria’s Interior Ministry as a member of the Islamic State (IS), entered the Mar Elyas Church in the Dweila neighborhood during evening prayers. According to official reports, the Islamic terrorist opened fire on the Christian worshippers before detonating an explosive vest inside the packed church. Witnesses reported scenes of panic and horror as more than 350 people gathered for service.
Father Youhanna Shehata, the parish priest of Mar Elyas, said he helped carry over 20 bodies following the blast. He estimated there were between 350 and 400 Christians inside the church at the time of the attack. Another priest, Father Fadi Ghattas, confirmed that hundreds of devotees were present, including families and children.
https://twitter.com/ChristianEmerg1/status/1936870283475824932?t=-Fh2on6AJcV3fOdKYHsmig&s=19
Security sources said the attack may have involved two Jihadis, though only one detonated himself. “One attacker opened fire at the entrance, and when worshippers tried to subdue him, he triggered the explosives,” a security source stated on condition of anonymity. Eyewitnesses reported that the terrorist had his face covered.
The explosion left the church’s interior devastated. A livestream from Syria’s Civil Defence, the White Helmets, showed blood-soaked floors, splintered pews, and extensive structural damage.
The attack marks the first successful suicide bombing in Damascus since Assad’s ouster and the first major IS operation under Syria’s transitional government, led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa. IS have been attempting attack on churches since the regime change after the fall of Assad regime.
Although no group immediately claimed responsibility, the Interior Ministry pointed to Islamic State in its preliminary findings. The ministry stated the attacker’s actions matched IS tactics seen in earlier regional assaults.
Syrian Information Minister Hamza Mostafa confirmed the bombing as a terrorist act.The terrorist raises fresh concerns about minority protection under Syria’s transitional leadership. President Sharaa, who led the charge against Assad and assumed power in January, has repeatedly promised to safeguard religious minorities amid the shifting power landscape.
Christians respond to an lslamist attack in Syria!
lslamists entered Christians Al-Qassa’a neighborhood in Damascus this evening, calling Christians to Islam, imposing posters with lslamic slogans for women to wear Hijab/Niqab!
Christians respond to them and defended themselves pic.twitter.com/tslDDoRe6a
— Azat (@AzatAlsalim) January 14, 2025
Local media reported that children were among the victims. Many of the injured remain in critical condition at Damascus hospitals, and officials warn the death toll may rise.
The attack is a stark reminder of IS’s lingering threat in the region, despite the group’s diminished presence in recent years. With Assad gone and a new Islamic administration in place, Syria now faces the challenge of protecting its religious and ethnic communities from Islamic terrorism.
Christianity in Syria is among the oldest in the world, dating back to the first century AD, with the region often described as a ‘cradle of Christianity’. However, Christians, who once made up about 10% of Syria’s pre-war population, have seen their numbers plummet from 1.5 million in 2011 to just 300,000 in 2022, a stark consequence of prosecution by the Islamic terrorists.
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