Across the globe, Christian communities and their places of worship have increasingly become targets of violent attacks by terrorist groups and unidentified assailants. A significant number of these assaults, which range from bombings and shootings to desecration and forced displacement, are explicitly linked to the ISIS organisation and other radical Islamic groups. These acts of violence often stem from extremist ideologies that seek to eliminate religious diversity and impose a particular worldview, leading to devastating consequences for innocent worshippers and the wider fabric of interfaith harmony.
This report compiles 15 major attacks on churches by terrorists and unidentified assailants worldwide from 2015 to 2025. These acts of aggression include bombings, stabbings, shootings, and arson, with many explicitly linked to the ISIS organisation and other radical Islamic groups. Such assaults underscore a grave threat to religious freedom and peace across the globe.
Suicide attack strikes Greek Orthodox Church in Damascus
On the evening of June 22, 2025, a devastating suicide attack unfolded at the Mar Elias Greek Orthodox Church in the Dweil’a suburb of Damascus, Syria. During Divine Liturgy, a masked assailant violently entered the church, opened fire on the worshippers, and then detonated a suicide vest near the entrance. This brutal act of terror, for which the Islamic State group is suspected, tragically killed between 20 and 22 people and wounded 63 others.
Gunman opens fire at Michigan Church
On June 22, 2025, a disturbing incident unfolded at CrossPointe Community Church in Wayne, Michigan, US. During Sunday prayers, Brian Anthony Browning, 31, from Romulus, Michigan, opened fire outside the church. A security guard was shot in the leg but bravely returned fire, wounding the assailant.
Christians abducted and beheaded in DRC Church attack
Tragedy struck the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on February 13, 2025. Armed militants from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a group reportedly affiliated with the Islamic State (IS), abducted approximately 70 Christians from the Lubero locality. These individuals were then taken to a Protestant church in Kasanga where they were brutally tied and beheaded. Fighters associated with ISIS initially surrounded a village in Lubero, kidnapping 20 men and women. When villagers protested, an additional 50 people were abducted, taken to a church in another area, and subsequently murdered by having their throats slit.
Boko Haram kills two, raze church in Chibok, Nigeria
On January 12, 2025, Boko Haram terrorists attacked the community of Chibok in Borno State, Nigeria. The militants killed Josiah Pogu Pudza and Enoch Pogu Pudza, and Esther Yohanna sustained a bullet injury. In their violent rampage, the terrorists also razed a local church to the ground, leaving a trail of destruction and fear.
Islamic State bombing on Evangelical Church in DRC kills 17
A horrific bomb attack occurred on January 15, 2025, at a Pentecostal church in Kasindi, North Kivu state, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). A device hidden inside the church detonated during a Sunday service. The Islamic State in Central Africa (ISCA)-linked ADF militants claimed responsibility for planting the bomb, which tragically resulted in at least 17 people killed and approximately 63 wounded.
Terrorists attack Catholic Church in Burkina Faso, killing 15
On February 25, 2024, a devastating terrorist attack struck a Catholic church in Essakane village, Dori region, northern Burkina Faso. Unidentified terrorists launched the assault during Sunday prayers, killing 15 civilians and injuring two others. The attack occurred as congregants had gathered for their weekly service, further highlighting the ongoing security challenges in the region.
Masked gunmen kill worshipper in Istanbul Church attack
An armed attack at the Santa Maria Church in Istanbul’s Sariyer district, Turkey, on January 28, 2024, left one worshipper dead. During a Sunday service, two unidentified masked gunmen carried out the assault, killing an individual identified as C.T., who was attending the religious ceremony.
Islamic extremists kill 14 Christians, including Pastor, in Northeast Nigeria
On January 5, 2024, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) launched a brutal attack on the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) in Kwari town, Geidam County, Northeast Nigeria. Militants killed the pastor, Rev. Luka Levong, on the church premises, and then proceeded to kill 13 other church members in their homes. The assailants also set fire to the church building and destroyed vehicles parked on its grounds, causing widespread devastation.
Nearly 200 Christians killed in Nigerian Church attacks over Christmas
A wave of horrific violence swept through Plateau State, Nigeria, between December 23 and 25, 2023, during the Christmas period. Heavily armed Islamic extremists, identified as Fulani Muslim herdsmen, attacked 26 Christian communities, ambushing worshippers during church prayers and gatherings. These co-ordinated assaults tragically resulted in the deaths of 198 Christians.
Sexton killed, priest injured in suspected terror attack on Spanish churches
On January 25, 2023, a suspected terrorist carried out a brutal machete attack on two churches in Algeciras, Spain. The assailant killed sexton Diego Valencia at Nuestra Señora de La Palma Church and seriously injured priest Antonio Rodríguez at San Isidro Church. The attacker assaulted worshippers at both locations before being arrested, sending shockwaves through the local community.
Gunmen kill dozens in ‘satanic’ attack on Catholic Church in Nigeria
On June 5, 2022, during Sunday mass, militants from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) launched a brutal assault on St. Francis Catholic Church in Ondo state, southwestern Nigeria. This “satanic” attack resulted in the deaths of more than 50 people. The militants shot at worshippers both outside and inside the church, detonated explosives, and blocked exits to prevent fleeing congregants from escaping the gunfire.
Suicide bombing hits Makassar Cathedral on Palm Sunday
On March 28, 2021, Palm Sunday celebrations were shattered by a suicide bombing outside the Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral in Makassar, South Sulawesi province, Indonesia. Members of Jemaah Anshorut Daulah (JAD), an armed group linked to ISIS, blew themselves up near the entrance of the Roman Catholic church, injuring at least 20 people, including several church members and four security guards.
Islamic terrorist attack kills three at Nice Church in France
On October 29, 2020, a knife attack at the Basilique Notre-Dame in Nice, France, claimed the lives of two women and one man. A 21-year-old Tunisian man, Brahim Aouissaoui, carried out what was declared an Islamist terrorist attack. A 60-year-old woman was virtually beheaded, a 55-year-old church staff member was fatally stabbed inside, and a 44-year-old woman died after fleeing to a nearby café.
France Church Attack: Priest killed by ISIS militants
On July 26, 2016, two armed men stormed a historic church in Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray, near Rouen, France, during morning Mass. They took five people hostage and brutally killed 84-year-old priest Father Jacques Hamel by slitting his throat. One hostage was critically injured, while the attackers, including 19-year-old Adel Kermiche who was linked to ISIS, were shot dead by police.
Charleston Church massacre: 9 killed in racially motivated hate crime
A devastating mass shooting occurred on June 17, 2015, at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. During a Bible study session, 21-year-old white supremacist Dylann Roof opened fire, fatally shooting nine African-American worshippers, including the church’s pastor and state senator, Rev. Clementa Pinckney. This racially motivated attack, classified as both a hate crime and an act of domestic terrorism, deeply shook the nation and reignited critical debates over racism, gun violence, and the legacy of Confederate symbols in the US.
The escalating wave of violent attacks on Christian communities and churches worldwide, often perpetrated by ISIS and other radical Islamic groups, represents a grave threat to religious freedom and global peace. These acts of terror, driven by extremist ideologies aiming to eradicate religious diversity, inflict devastating harm on innocent worshippers and severely undermine the essential fabric of interfaith harmony. Addressing this alarming trend demands a concerted global effort to counter extremism and protect the fundamental right to religious practice for all.
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