Suicide Bombing at Damascus Church, Syria, Leaves 22 Dead and Over 60 Injured

Syria, June 23, 2025: A suicide bombing during Sunday evening Mass at the Greek Orthodox Church of the Prophet Elias in Damascus, Syria, left 22 worshippers dead and 63 others injured. The attacker, linked to the Islamic State group, opened fire before detonating an explosive vest inside the church, according to the interior ministry. The blast struck the Dweila neighbourhood, causing widespread destruction and panic among those gathered for prayer.

Scene of Devastation

Photos and video footage from inside the church revealed a heavily damaged altar, broken pews covered in shattered glass, and blood smeared across the walls. The explosion created chaos in what was meant to be a moment of worship and peace.

Eyewitness Lawrence Maamari told AFP, “Someone entered \[the church] from outside carrying a weapon” and started shooting. He added, “People tried to stop him before he blew himself up.” Another witness, Ziad, who was in a nearby shop, said he heard gunfire followed by a blast. “We saw fire in the church and the remains of wooden benches thrown all the way to the entrance,” he recalled.

No Immediate Claim of Responsibility

While the Syrian interior ministry confirmed the attacker’s links to the jihadist group Islamic State (IS), the group itself has not yet claimed responsibility for the bombing.

A First Since Regime Change

This marks the first such incident in Damascus since Islamist-led rebel forces toppled Bashar al-Assad in December, bringing an end to 13 years of civil war. The attack has drawn widespread condemnation from religious and international leaders alike.

Church and Clergy React

In a statement, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch said: “The treacherous hand of evil struck this evening, claiming our lives, along with the lives of our loved ones who fell today as martyrs during the evening divine liturgy.” The patriarchate noted that the blast occurred at the church’s entrance, killing people both inside the building and in its immediate surroundings.

The statement also called on Syria’s interim authorities to “assume full responsibility for what has happened and continues to happen in terms of violation against the sanctity of churches, and to ensure the protection of all citizens.”

Government and International Condemnation

Interior Minister Anas Khattab said that specialised teams from his ministry had launched an investigation into what he described as a “reprehensible crime.” He affirmed, “These terrorist acts will not stop the efforts of the Syrian state in achieving civil peace.”

Geir Pedersen, the UN Special Envoy for Syria, condemned the attack and urged Syrians “to unite in rejecting terrorism, extremism, incitement and the targeting of any community.”

US Special Envoy Tom Barrack also denounced the bombing, stating: “These terrible acts of cowardice have no place in the new tapestry of integrated tolerance and inclusion that Syrians are weaving.”

Source: BBC News