Suicide bombing at Damascus church kills 22

The Syrian health ministry reports that a suicide bombing at a church in Damascus has resulted in at least 22 deaths and 63 injuries.

During a service on Sunday evening, a man opened fire at the Greek Orthodox Church of the Prophet Elias in the Dweila neighborhood before detonating an explosive vest, according to the interior ministry.

The assailant is believed to be linked to the jihadist group Islamic State (IS), although the group has not claimed responsibility.

Images taken from within the church depict a heavily scarred altar, broken pews, and blood splattered across the walls.

Eyewitness Lawrence Maamari shared with AFP that “someone came into the church carrying a weapon” and opened fire. People attempted to stop him before he detonated the explosive.

Ziad, a bystander in a nearby shop, recounted hearing gunfire followed by an explosion that sent shards of glass everywhere. “We saw flames in the church and debris from wooden benches scattered to the entrance,” he said.

This marks the first such attack in Damascus since the downfall of Bashar al-Assad by Islamist-led rebel forces in December, concluding 13 years of horrific civil war.

The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch lamented in a statement, “The wicked hand of evil struck this evening, taking our lives and those of our beloved fallen during the divine liturgy.”

Preliminary reports suggest that the explosion occurred at the church entrance, resulting in casualties both inside the building and nearby.

The patriarchate urged Syria’s interim authorities to “take full responsibility for the ongoing violations against the sanctity of places of worship and to ensure the safety of all citizens.”

Interior Minister Anas Khattab stated that specialized teams have initiated an investigation into what he described as a “deplorable crime.”

“These acts of terrorism will not hinder the Syrian state’s pursuit of civil peace,” he asserted.

Geir Pedersen, the UN special envoy for Syria, condemned the attack and called for Syrians to unite against terrorism, extremism, and the targeting of any community.

US special envoy Tom Barrack stated, “Such cowardly acts have no place in the new tapestry of tolerance and inclusion that Syrians are attempting to weave.”

Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), former al-Qaeda affiliates designated as terrorists by the UN, US, and UK, has continually asserted his commitment to safeguarding religious and ethnic minorities. Nevertheless, Syria has experienced two significant surges of sectarian violence recently.

IS has persistently targeted Christians and other smaller religious communities within Syria.

In a notable incident in 2016, the group orchestrated a series of explosions near the Shia Muslim Sayyida Zeinab shrine in southern Damascus, resulting in over 70 fatalities.

At one point, IS controlled approximately 88,000 sq km (34,000 sq miles) across western Syria and eastern Iraq, imposing their severe rule over nearly eight million people.

Despite their military defeat in 2019, the UN cautions that IS and its affiliates remain a significant threat.

A February report indicated that IS could leverage Syria’s transitional atmosphere to ramp up attacks and re-establish itself as a prime player for recruiting foreign fighters.

Current estimates suggest that IS has between 1,500 and 3,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq, with the majority based in Syrian territory, including around 300 fighters in the central Badia desert, which serves as a planning hub for external operations.

Over 9,000 IS operatives are currently detained in prisons across northeastern Syria, while about 40,000 individuals linked to IS, mainly women and children, reside in various camps.