The blast in Dweil’a on the outskirts of Syria’s capital was carried out as individuals had been praying contained in the Mar Elias Church.
A suicide bomber in Syria has carried out an assault inside a church full of individuals, killing a minimum of 15 individuals and wounding dozens extra, in response to the Syria Civil Defence and safety officers.
The explosion in Dweil’a on the outskirts of Damascus passed off as individuals had been praying throughout mass contained in the Mar Elias Church on Sunday.
No group instantly claimed duty, however the Syrian Inside Ministry mentioned a fighter from the ISIL (ISIS) group entered the church and fired on the individuals there earlier than detonating himself with an explosives vest, echoing some witness testimonies.
The dying toll reported was a preliminary one. “Rescue groups from the Syria Civil Defence proceed to get better our bodies from the scene,” a press release on Telegram mentioned on Sunday.
Individually, two safety officers confirmed the present dying toll of 15 to the Reuters information company.
Official state company SANA, citing the Well being Ministry, mentioned that a minimum of 50 others had been wounded.
Britain-based warfare monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says there have been a minimum of 30 individuals wounded and killed, however didn’t give actual numbers.
Some native media reported that kids had been among the many casualties.
The assault was the primary of its sort in Syria in years, and comes because the fledgling interim authorities led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa is making an attempt to win the help of minorities.
As al-Sharaa struggles to exert authority throughout Syria, there have been issues in regards to the presence of sleeper cells of teams like ISIL (ISIS) within the nation recovering from practically 14 years of devastating civil warfare that killed a whole bunch of 1000’s and displaced tens of millions.
Syria has made important inroads again into the worldwide fold since al-Sharaa turned president in January 2025, with each the USA and the European Union lifting sanctions from the period of ousted President Bashar al-Assad.
‘He was capturing on the church’
A witness who recognized himself as Rawad advised The Related Press that he noticed the attacker, who was accompanied by two others who fled as he was driving close to the church.
“He was capturing on the church … he then went contained in the church and blew himself up,” he mentioned.
Safety forces and first responders rushed to the scene.
Panicked survivors wailed, as one lady fell to her knees and burst into tears.
Syrian Info Minister Hamza al-Mostafa condemned the blast, calling it a “terrorist” assault.
“This cowardly act goes towards the civic values that convey us collectively,” he mentioned in a submit on X.
“We won’t again down from our dedication to equal citizenship … and we additionally affirm the state’s pledge to exert all its efforts to fight legal organisations and to guard society from all assaults threatening its security.”
France’s overseas ministry condemned the “despicable” assault. France “expresses its full solidarity with the Syrian individuals, who hope that Syria will discover its manner again to peace,” the ministry mentioned in a press release
Photographs circulated by the Syria Civil Defence confirmed the church’s inside space in ruins, with pews lined in particles and blood.
