The Biggest PR Disaster Caught on Camera
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A suicide bomber in Syria on Sunday detonated himself inside a Greek Orthodox church filled with people, killing at least 13, Syrian state media reported.
The explosion in Dweil’a in the outskirts of Damascus took place as people were praying inside the Mar Elias Church. SANA, citing the Health Ministry, said that at least 53 others were wounded.
Britain-based war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said there were at least 19 people killed and dozens of others wounded, but did not give exact numbers. Some local media reported that children were among the casualties.
Associated Press says the attack on the church was the first of its kind in Syria in years, and comes as Damascus under its de facto Islamist rule is trying to win the support of minorities. As President Ahmad al-Sharaa struggles to exert authority across the country, there have been concerns about the presence of sleeper cells of extremist groups in the war-torn country, AP notes.
No group immediately claimed responsibility Sunday, but the Syrian Interior Ministry said an extremist from the Islamic State group entered the church, fired at the people there before detonating himself with an explosives vest, echoing some witness testimonies.
This cowardly act goes against the civic values that brings us together,” he said on X. “We will not back down from our commitment to equal citizenship … and we also affirm the state’s pledge to exert all its efforts to combat criminal organizations and to protect society from all attacks threatening its safety.”
Church Bishop Moussa Khoury said the attacker also threw a grenade into the church during the afternoon Mass. “He started shooting, went and then he blew up the church,” he told The Associated Press.
A witness who identified himself as Rawad told AP he saw the attacker who was accompanied by two others who fled as he was driving near the church. “He was shooting at the church … he then went inside the church and blew himself up,” he said.
However, Meletius Shahati, a church priest, said there was a second gunman who shot at the church door before the other person detonated himself.
Security forces and first-responders rushed to the church. Panicked survivors wailed, as one lady fell to her knees and burst into tears. A photo circulated by Syrian state media SANA showed the church’s pews covered in debris and blood.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs vehemently condemned the deadly suicide bombing attack on the Greek Orthodox Church of Prophet Elias in Damascus, labeling it a ‘heinous terrorist attack.’
In an official statement, the Ministry underscored that religious sites must never be targets of violence and terrorism. It urged the Syrian transitional authorities to take swift action to hold those responsible accountable and to implement measures to protect Christian and other religious communities.
The statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
‘We unequivocally condemn the heinous terrorist suicide bombing attack on the Greek Orthodox Church of Mar Elias in Damascus, Syria.
Religious sites must never be targets of terrorism. Everyone has the right to practice their faith in complete peace and security. We demand that the Syrian transitional authorities take immediate action to hold those involved accountable and implement measures that will guarantee the safety of Christian communities and all religious groups, allowing them to live without fear.
We express our sincere condolences to the families of the victims.
Foreign Minister Gerapetritis will brief his EU partners tomorrow at the Foreign Affairs Council.’”
Related: Greece Sounds Alarm on Syria Violence, Pushes for Christian Minority Rights
