Twenty Killed in Suicide Bombing at Church in Damascus

BBC

The church is not far from the eastern Bab Sharqi gate of Damascus's Old City

At least 20 people were killed and dozens injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up at the Mar Elias Church in the Dweila neighborhood of Syria's capital Damascus on Sunday, 22 June 2025, health authorities and security sources said.

It was the first suicide bombing in Damascus since Bashar al-Assad was toppled in December last year.
 
Syria's interior ministry said the suicide bomber was a member of Islamic State (ISIS). He entered the church, opened fire and then detonated his explosive vest, a ministry statement added.

Reuters quoted a security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, as saying that two men were involved in the attack, including the one who blew himself up.

ISIS has been behind several attempted attacks on churches in Syria since Assad's fall, but this was the first to succeed, another security source told Reuters.

Syria's state news agency cited the health ministry as saying that 52 people were also injured in the blast.

A livestream from the site by Syria's civil defence, the White Helmets, showed scenes of destruction from inside the church, including a bloodied floor and shattered pews and masonry.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who led the offensive against Assad before taking over in January for a transitional phase, has repeatedly said he will protect minorities.

Syrian Information Minister Hamza al-Mostafa condemned the blast, calling it a “terrorist” attack.

“This cowardly act goes against the civic values that bring us together,” he said in a post 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 organisations and to protect society from all attacks threatening its safety.”

France’s foreign ministry condemned the “despicable” attack. France “expresses its full solidarity with the Syrian people, who hope that Syria will find its way back to peace,” the ministry said in a statement

"We unequivocally condemn the abhorrent terrorist suicide bombing at the Mar Elias Greek Orthodox Church in Damascus, Syria," the Greek foreign ministry said in a statement.

"We demand that the Syrian transitional authorities take immediate action to hold those involved accountable and implement measures to guarantee the safety of Christian communities and all religious groups, allowing them to live without fear."

ISIS had previously targeted religious minorities, including a major attack on Shiite pilgrims in Sayeda Zainab in 2016 — one of the most notorious bombings during Assad's rule.

The latest assault underscores the group's continued ability to exploit security gaps despite the collapse of its territorial control and years of counterterrorism efforts.



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